Teen Titans:A New Journey
by TheWilsonWhisper
Summary: An original story following the aftermath of Teen Titans the animated series, our heroes embark on new paths and trials. The Titan's meet a newfound hero, but what comes with all things new? Follow our heroes as they age and grow on this new journey.
1. A New Beginning

**|A New Beginning|**

Summer 2010

Jump City

The sun had just started to settle across the bay, casting shadows throughout the city's streets. The bustle of cars zooming around the city's core- racing for home. A light breeze rolling from the ocean just past the beautiful bridge, a bridge that had seen many tragic accidents throughout its history.

A teen stood at the center of the bridge. She was mid-build with dark brown hair, navy eyes that caught every sparkle of the evenings sun. Her milky skin blending in with its rays. A sigh escaped her lips, watching the light ripples of water some 200 feet below her. A faint shadow of that strong T that gave everyone within the city limits some strain of hope. But...could they save her?

The girl shook her head, pushing her seemingly small hands off the rail and turned from the bay. All thoughts of a possible end, pushing to the back of her mind...for now.

Evenings rush hour had come and gone in no time, just a few cars trickling in and out of the city on that bridge. Stuffing her hands in her jean pockets, walking towards downtown. Every now and then catching glimpses of couples, elders, teens, or a homeless person with a sign. Maybe life isn't so complicated.

No matter how long she had lived here, she was always blown away by this city's everlasting beauty. It was a reminder of where she had been and where she could go.

She made her way to the center of the city with ease, the sidewalks mostly clear for the evening. The sun slowly sneaking beyond the horizon and leaving just a cast of a beautiful golden glow. A perfect chance to view the gardens on top of one of the tallest buildings in the city, besides that looming T in the center of the bay that is.

At the center of this beautiful botanical garden, a mighty fountain stood with a statue of a previous mayor that had left his mark on the city and beautiful roses, lilies, and various other flowers decorating the cement paths and protecting the stone benches. This place was everything she ever needed for peace of mind.

Letting out a breath of air, she slowly sat down on that very stone bench at the edge of the building. She could see the city for miles, just as the bridge, but from the highest point she could access...without causing a stir. The girl sat there in silence, admiring the quiet that came with this place. Somehow forgetting the eerie thoughts that haunted her.

As evening settled in the city, our heroes could be found celebrating a day without crime. Those days came so scarce these days. It had been about 3 years since they had returned from Tokyo. Where love was once fierce was now but a dull flame, Robin and Starfire had decided early on in their relationship that it would be best to remain friends. They recognized the love they had would always be strong, but Robin couldn't bring himself to be more than the hero he had promised to be so many years ago. Starfire loved him the same, but loved him enough to let him be the man he needed to be.

Beast Boy has much been the same, the same quirky boy or now young man. It's funny how time can do so much for someone. Though, Terra occasionally haunted his dreams- he had mostly moved on with his life. Still finding the lighthearted joke in the middle of intense battles.

Cyborg has spent much of the time improving his knowledge on technology and medicines. Always ready for the unexpected and loving on his toys.

Raven...is Raven. Spending much of the spare time she has meditating and focusing on the control of her darkening powers.

Funny how they can remain much of the same, with so much time coming and going. The Teen Titans have remained the same. But...will that change?

"Let's get pizza!" Cyborg exclaimed as the team gathered in the common room, adding in his request for a late dinner. His eyes scanning the room for approval from his teammates, no... friends. It was strange how the time had bonded all of them.

With no disapproval, the Titan's trickled their way down the tower. "Shotgun!", Beast Boy declared as he morphed into a beautiful cheetah. His favorite cat of choice. A playful call as he pounded down the corridor to the garage. Just before he could reach the T car's front door, a magical whoosh of black swooped into the air. From the speed and surprise, Beast Boy bumped into the blockade and bounced backward, morphing in the fall and landing on his behind. "Hey!" he shouted.

Raven stepped out of the black void, a straight smirk on her face and opened the front door. Beast Boy kicked and whined, climbing in the backseat with Starfire. Cyborg chuckled at his friends, "Let's go!" he told them as he swung open his door and got in. His eyes shifting quickly to the right, rolling down the bullet proof glass. "You comin'?" he called to Robin.

Robin, with his back to the car, finally cleared his throat as stepped toward his motorcycle. "Yeah, I'll follow" he said, choosing to ride alone.

"Race ya!" Cyborg spat, revving the engine, tearing out of the garage and into the underground tunnels that would lead them to the city. Robin merely shook his head.

It was surprising to him he had been here so long. He had originally come to Jump City to work on cases alone. But somehow, he had been fated to meet his friends. Time showed him that no matter how much he thought he didn't need them, somewhere deep in his chest he knew he did. A sigh escaped the fearless leaders' lips as he picked up his helmet, tugging it over his dark-spiked hair. A playful smirk suddenly breaking across his face, jumping on to his bike- zipping off behind the T-car.

The team eagerly piled into their favorite pizza joint, directly in the center of the city. Protests and whines from each one of our heroes as they debated the type of pizzas they would order. Finally, settling on a cheese and a deluxe pizza. They sat down for their dinner at one of their favorite tables on the rooftop patio. Talking about their day, hopes, and views.

Everything seemed to be flowing well for today. But things change.

As Starfire finished her last bite of mustard covered pizza, a light breeze pushed past. Picking her velvet red hair up with it and a strange sensation. Her breath caught in her throat, her head turning to overlook the city. Raven felt it too, turning her head in the same direction. A stern look quickly washing over their leader's face, "What is it?", his voice cutting through the moment.

"I'm not sure", Raven said slowly turning her head back to face her team. Starfire's green orbs never leaving the city street. Robin's brows furrowed. Right as he was about to speak, the ground began to rumble. The tables around them shaking, the umbrellas toppling from them, car alarms starting to blare in the distance. People running immediately for cover exclaiming it was an earthquake. But was it?

The team was immediately on their feet, jumping down into the city and ready to help anyone in an instant. The question of what was happening, quickly answered as a once familiar face turned the corner about six blocks from their position. Johnny Rancid, the metal head that has been known to be obsessed with his large... mechanical pets. This time was no different, they were being faced with a rather large mechanical creature with a strange power source coursing through its center. Admittedly, it was much larger and different than previous models.

"Titan's GO!" Robin's voice rang out, his cry always so familiar and daring. The team dispersed forward, ready for anything.

Robin jumped on his bike, quickly zooming down the city corridor towards Johnny. Reaching into his utility belt, throwing out a couple dozen bird-a-rangs to distract Rancid's driving. Rancid moved around them with ease on his own motorcycle, his wild hair blowing in the breeze as he drove forward. The mechanical pet screeching so loud, glass and debris shattered in its path. The force of air blowing back Beast Boy's attempt to get close. The fight was on.

In the middle of the city, the beautiful young girl breathed in the evening air. It was peaceful. Just as she stood, the ground began to shake. The water in the fountain began slushing back and forth, spilling onto the snow-white cement. Her eyes widen, quickly stumbling her way to the edge of the building just has the mechanical pet that was just as tall as this building she stood on, rang out his screech. The building rumbled and whined from the force of wind, her hair whipping behind her shoulders. Instinctively she raised her arms in front her body, the air pushing her back on her heels a few feet, dust enveloping her face from the residue.

The girl coughed loudly into her arms, the dust receding. She ran to the edge of the building once again, her eyes catching the view below. It was them. The Teen Titans. Her heart skipped a beat, admiring their grace and efforts to protect the city. As she took in the fight below, suddenly an explosion rang out from somewhere below. Bright lights and rings waving over the area, Dr. Light had some new toys and appeared to be powering Rancid's pet.

From the sky view, Robin had already pummeled Rancid to the ground and Dr. Light made his move- knowing full well Rancid was seemingly a waste of his energy. Dr. Light chuckled menacingly, blasting his energy beams from his suit towards the Titans. All blocking with ease, except for Starfire. She missed a beat moving in and out of his beams, instantly being pushed up into the air further- immediately crash landing on top of the very building the girl was on.

The girls head watched the hero soar over her head, crashing down in the water from the now leaking fountain. She gasped loudly, quickly running to the Titan's side. Starfire groaned, slowly rolling her head back and forth, fluttering her eyes open just in time to see this girl leaning over her. "Oh my gosh, are you okay!?" the girl exclaimed as she leaned down to Starfire's side, immediately noticing a severe burn to her abdomen. The girl quickly ripped off a piece of fabric of her own shirt, dipping it in the water flowing from the fountain and gently placed it to Starfire.

Starfire winced in pain as she slowly pushed herself up onto her elbows, "Sorry!" the girl claimed immediately removing her hands from the wound. "Thank You, I am the okay" Starfire stated, pushing herself up onto her feet. The girl staring up at this strong woman in awe. Starfire smiled and reached out her hand, helping the girl to her feet. "Stay here" she exclaimed with power in her voice.

Just as she flew to the air, Dr. Light had blasted his way into the air. Looking for the prey he had just injured as the Titan's dealt with the raging mechanical pet. Starfire gasped, quickly tossing beautiful green star bolts into the air, aiming for Dr. Light. With some new technology in his suit, he succeeded with moving in and out of the starbolts much to Starfire's dismay. Light blasted his energies about, connecting one or two with the strong hero. She faltered a little, dropping to a knee. Light chuckled blasting another blow at our strong hero, pushing her to the ground.

The girl watched in awe, watching this strong hero faulter. She knew she had to do something. "Hey!" she exclaimed, catching Light's attention. "Leave her alone!" she cried, her eyes slowly glazing over with a sharp shade of red. The water from the fountain rose in the air seemingly on its own, the girl's hands raising in the air and pushing the water forward- covering Light in water. His suit lit up like a Christmas tree, short circuiting and immediately collapsing from the shock. Starfire coughed, bringing the girl back to reality and immediately rushed to the hero's side. The other Titan's catching up from their battle in the streets began spilling over the roof top, running for Light and to check on their friend.

The girl was at Starfire's side first, slowly Starfire pushed herself up onto her elbows just as Robin and Cyborg made it to her side. "Starfire! Are you okay!" Robin's voice echoed in the new found quiet, a gentle nod from Starfire as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Yes..." she voiced, slowly turning to the girl "Thank you!" she said with a bright smile, her strong arms enveloping around the girl. Robin's brow immediately furrowed staring at the girl before them, Raven and Beast Boy slowly joining the circle of concern. "Who are you?", Robin asked first.

The girl breathed as Starfire let go of her, staring at the heroes that surrounded her. A moment she had only every dreamed of. She cleared her throat. "I'm Destiny..." she said with a faint smile and nodded. "You're welcome."

Starfire winced at her burn on her stomach but still kept a bright smile on her golden face. "She saved me from the Dr. Light." expressions of surprise came across the Titan's faces, turning their attention back to this...hero?

Though with surprise and stern, Robin breathed and stepped forward with his hand outstretched. "I'm Robin...and we're the Teen Titans." he pointed to each of his friends, introducing them formally- each nodding their head. Destiny nodded her head, stretching her small hand forward and shook the leader's hand. "It's hard not to know who you guys are." she smiled, stepping back from the circle. "I'm glad I could help." her eyes immediately rushing to the ground, then looking over her shoulder at the mess of the garden.

"What were you doing up here?" Cyborg's voice boomed, questioning the girl with concern. Destiny turned her head back to the team, a small smile on her face, raising her small hands in the air in shrug. "The same reason anyone else comes here, for the beauty of it." her eyes losing the sparkle, the red glaze washed over them again and enveloping her hands. Slowly the building shook and trembled, the team bracing for the outcome, but slowly the pieces and plants molded themselves back to where they once stood.

"I come here to think. I guess it's a good thing I was here." she said with a surprise in her voice, Beast Boy stepped forward with a goofy smile. "Well, we could use someone like you!" he offered; Destiny quietly cleared her throat, stuffing her hands into her pockets. The team before her exchanged glances before Robin cleared his throat.

"You can stay with us if you'd like, train with us..." he said firmly. Destiny's eyes light up immediately, studying each face. "That would be... nice."

With the quiet agreement made between our familiar heroes and this newfound hero, the team made their way 'home' for the evening.


	2. Give It Your Best Shot

Give It Your Best Shot

Jump City

Titans Tower

Summer 2010

Thursday Morning

The glowing sun was making its way over the horizon just beyond the bay area, the sharp light spilling into the tall glass windows of that beautiful T. The familiar symbol of hope and strength, something everyone in Jump City looked up to. Cars in the distance slowly filling the asphalt, making bee lines for their destinations.

Last evening had been...interesting to say the very least. Our heroes had started the evening with excitement of a crimeless day and enjoying a much-needed dinner together and ended with two criminals behind bars once again and the wonder of this new prospect they had decided to invite into their home. It was hard for the Titan's to be so open and trusting with everything they had encountered together over the years. But that also meant they were ready for anything.

Yesterday

Wednesday

Late Evening

The team had long returned from their adventurous evening and settled into their mostly normal routine. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire made it a point to gather round the large sectional in the common room and spent time with their newfound friend, Destiny. Robin had long been in his office, completing reports and notes on the evening and Raven spent her evening sat in the kitchen- nose deep in a book but listening to the girl's answers to her friend's questions. It still baffled her deeply that they had been so accepting of this stranger after all they had been through over the years. Raven could only roll her violet eyes at the thought and returned to her book for some solitude, pressing aside the looming thoughts of dark surrounding her.

The three Titan's questioned Destiny for much of the time, learning about the girls past. They learned she was still a high school student in the city and was a cheerleader in her spare time. Beast Boy's eyes grew cold as she mentioned a friend or two that she spent most of her time with, one with the name of Tara and the description feeling to real for him. He could only paint his toothy grin wide and pushing any remaining memory of his past aside. Destiny lived alone on the south east side of town, just near the docks. She steered her way in and out of conversation, never landing on parents or much about her powers. Though, they were pretty surprised by her healing capabilities when she healed over Starfire's burn.

Starfire and Destiny seemed to hit it off well. They talked for what seemed like hours about various girl-like things from hair, to nail polish, and back to shopping. As the evening drug on, Raven and Starfire evening retreated to their bedrooms for the night. Beast Boy and Cyborg settled themselves in for a few hours in front of the tv and indulging in some video games. Destiny sat quietly curled up not far from the pair, snuggled into the plush sofa and eventually drifting into a light slumber.

At about 1 in the morning, Cyborg and Beast Boy decided to pack it in for the evening. "Night...B" Cyborg said through a stifled yawn, raising his right hand to the security system. "Lockdown initiated..." he said before disappearing into the main corridor. The large metal doors grinding closed behind him. Beast Boy grunted as he forced his tired body up from the couch, his green eyes catching the girl slumped over on the couch- long been fast asleep. A brief wash of warmth filled his belly and smiled. The lanky teen shuffled through the lower console, finding a pillow and blanket amongst the junk that had been stuffed in them over the years. With gentle hands, he placed the blanket over the girl and gently moved her body to lay flat on the couch and resting her head on the pillow-then turning in for the night himself.

The night pressed on without pause, rich black clouds loomed over the quiet city. Soon, thunderstorms rolled. The rain pelting the glass windows and ominous blares of thunder filled the air. Occasionally, the girl tossed and turned in her place on the sectional. She only jerked awake a few times from the sounds of nature blaring in the empty common room, but quickly feeling safe enough to fall back into some sort of a slumber.

Thursday Morning

6:05 AM

Destiny groaned as she rolled over onto her left side, pushing her body upwards. Her brunette hair cascading down her back and the glowing sun filling her navy eyes. She blinked several times to take in her surroundings and to recall the previous evenings events. "I'm actually here..." she said aloud, her voice but a brief whisper. She breathed in deeply, catching a whiff of coffee as she breathed out.

"Morning..." Robin's stern voice rang out through the quiet. The girl flinched and sprang to her feet in a swift motion and stood in a ready to battle like stance. Destiny blinked realizing her reaction was a bit...much, her arms quickly finding her sides and stood up straight- nervously giggled with a smile on her face. "Morning...sorry, I didn't realize someone was in the room."

Noting the reaction, he merely shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry...I didn't mean to frighten you." he said as he took a swig from the mug in his right hand. "Coffee?" Destiny's eyes immediately light up at the gesture and politely nodded, throwing the blanket that had pooled at her feet onto the couch. "Coffee sounds fantastic..."

Robin briefly smiled as he pulled a mug out of a cabinet and sat it on the breakfast bar, the girl quickly making her way over and sitting on the stool-her feet just dangling. "Cream?" he asked, pouring the hot coffee in the gray mug. Destiny quietly shook her head and smiled, her hands enveloping themselves around the mug and embracing the warmth it offered. "No thank you, black is fine..." she stated, immediately taking a long swig after he finished pouring. "Thank you..." the girl said with a smile as she placed the mug back on the counter.

Robin nodded as he took another long drink of his coffee, placing his mug on the counter as well and cleared his throat. "We have training at 11. I'm interested in what you can do." he stated firmly, his masked eyes staring at the girl before him. "It's not often we meet new people with powers." The girl listened with intent, quietly drinking her coffee and contemplating what her play was. Destiny cleared her throat and gently pushed the empty mug away from her. "I'll be ready. Is it okay if I run home to shower? I feel gross." With an approval nod, the girl immediately rose to her feet and left the common room in scurry- just missing Raven as she strolled into the common room.

The metal doors swished closed as Raven met Robin's gaze in the kitchen. "She left in quite a hurry..." the monotone of her voice ringing in the air. Robin firmly nodded and set an empty mug out for Raven by her tea selection. "She'll be training with us later...we'll be able to account for what kind of power she has."

Raven quietly poured some hot water from the kettle on the stove into her mug, her amethyst eyes scanning the teas before her and ultimately choosing a peppermint and found a set at the counter. "Should we so be easy to trust her?" she asked, taking a quiet sip. "I'm not sure yet...but she was useful in our quarrel yesterday and healed Starfire's wound. For now, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt." he sighed heavily and tossed his and the girl's mug into the sink. "I just hope my gut is wrong," Raven said, Robin's gaze quickly snapping back to attention to meet her eyes. "There was a distinct looming darkness around her...I just hope it's her power and not something else."

7 AM

Near Jump City Docks

Just beyond the docks, a beautiful modern like seemingly one-story stood. A lone sedan sitting in the three-car drive, no lights visible. Destiny burst her way through the front door with a loud sigh of relief as she walked, her arms stretching high above her head to stretch out her muscles. The home was quiet and only light by the glowing sun seeping in the windows. The modern kitchen had rich black cabinets and beautiful stainless-steel appliances on her left and on the right, it opened into a casual living space with a fireplace and flat screen mounted overhead. The girl made her way down the dark corridor, stripping her pale body of it's clothing and disappearing into the first door on the right. The bedroom was decorated simply. The walls were a light gray, the center of the far wall a queen bed was messily made. The walls were lightly decorated with photos, awards, and various newspaper clippings of events and happenings involving the Titan's. She quickly rummaged around in a drawer of a beautifully ornate dresser, then disappearing into her bathroom.

After a hot shower and primping, Destiny emerged from her room just after 9. She was now dressed in a tight fitted red t-shirt, a pair of black pants that hugged each of her curves, a matte black utility belt slung around her hourglass hips, fingerless black gloves on her hands that extended just past her wrists and a pair of black combat boots. Her hair was dry and full of messy, wave-like curls. Her face done up in her best smoky eye and red lipstick, a simple black mask surrounded her navy eyes.

She quickly prepared herself a small breakfast the consisted of some oatmeal with berries scattered in it, some oj, and an apple. Her eyes quickly catching sight of the time as it edged to 10. "No time like the present..." she mumbled to herself, gathering her composure and leaving her home behind in sights of something new.

Titans Tower

10:45 AM

Over the course of the morning, the Titan's had gathered themselves for a breakfast of waffles and talked of their previous day and the day ahead. After breakfast they had readied themselves for the training session looming. The sun was bright today and the heat rising from the ground with vengeance. The Titan's had gathered on the south side of the building, Raven and Robin were seated up at the compute console while the other three stretched their limbs. Beast Boy slowly turned his head at the scent of vanilla filling his senses, his emerald eyes quickly focusing on the girl landing from the air just at the edge of the island. His signature toothy grin painted on his face, waving his gloved hand in the air. "Hey! You made it!" he said with glee and ran to meet the girl half way.

Destiny smiled shyly, her hair neatly breezing past her face as she walked forward and waved. "I said I'd be here..." she commented, the pair exchanging a high five and returned to the group of heroes. Robin stood from his chair at the panel, his cape whipping in the hot breeze. "Let's get started then, shall we..." and returned to his seat. "Me first!" Cyborg exclaimed, popping his metal knuckles as he crossed the dirt to start. Cyborg ran the course with ease and in good timing, gloating at his unbeaten record. Raven rolled her eyes with a snort, "You're always first...that's why you have a record..." she retorted as she worked on the panel and the course reset itself. Next, Starfire stepped off and completed the course with stern grace.

"Good job, Star!" Beast Boy exclaimed, his attention quickly returning to the girl beside him. "Why don't you go ahead now?"

Destiny gulped as her gaze met his and feeling the swarm of eyes on the back of her neck. She merely smiled and nodded her head. "Okay then..." she said, moving to the start of the course. Raven nodded her head and changed the settings. "We're going to increase the difficulty of the course since this is your first time...so we can see what powers you have." her monotone cutting through the humid air like a knife.

The thick breeze whipped to the East, the girl's hair flowing to the side as she wiggled out her arms and braced for what the course could hold for her. "Countdown initiated...give it your best shot...and...good luck..." Robin's voice boomed, the console ticking down...10...9...8. Destiny readied her hands into small fists and parted her legs. A loud buzzer rang out and the ground rumbled in response, a half dozen mechanisms darted up from the ground and instantly started to blast lasers in the girl's direction. A small smile painted across her red lips, "Lasers?" she scoffed and immediately levitated into the air. Her small body moving with grace, deflecting the lasers off of her wrists and her eyes engulfed themselves in gorgeous red flames and her hands glowing to the same effect. "Hah!" she exclaimed, throwing small and precise bolts of energy from her hands to disable the lasers. She heard a brief crack behind her, her hand immediately reaching to her right side and turned to the sound. A larger mechanism had popped up from the ground and released several blasts of energy, the girl deflecting the energy with a newfound bow staff in her hands. The staff seemed to be at least 7 feet in length and of a strong material, it clearly being powered by the girl's energy as the red flames lapped at each end. She effortlessly twirled the staff and deflected the blast of energy back at the machine and easily disabled it, before swooping into the air and continuing on to the next phase of the course.

"Wooo! Look at her go!" Starfire exclaimed and joined in the cheers with Cyborg and Beast Boy. The girl could only smile to herself. It wasn't every day you could train with the Titan's after all.

The ground rumbled once more and parted in various places, large obstacles flying into the air at different heights and force. Her body easily weaving up, over, and around each one that darted up from the ground. The obstacles quickly became faster and more forceful, quickly she cartwheeled herself off of one and slid across the next- dodging with ease and some sort of expertise. Robin and Raven exchanged a glance during the display, then Raven slowly ticked up the levels of the course. The large obstacles started to change, some exploded or lasered. Though off guard, the girl still pressed on and moved with ease through them. The cheers continued from the three Titan's as she finished the second phase. Destiny huffed as she flipped her luscious hair from her face, wiping the sweat briefly from her brow and landed on the ground just in front of the third phase of the course. It looked simple enough, they were large metal obstacles with moving parts, so speed and strength were definitely needed.

The girl quickly took off in a sprint, moving through the first shutting force of metal with ease. She slid into a baseball slide through the second and a back handspring through the third. The fourth was already closed, she stepped forward and reached down- pushing up with all of her strength and was able to slide it over her head and slip through. The fifth was moving so quick her eyes following it, trying to find some sort of pattern. There definitely wasn't much of a pattern, just speed and force were all the machine had. Destiny decided to take it head on and dove.

The quick wind of metal was much too fast, the girl instinctively raising her arms and grabbed onto the metal. "Umph!" the girl cried, her feet dug into the dirt and slowly was pushed to a knee. Destiny groaned in agony, feeling the strain on her left wrist. With a huff and might, the girl pushed with all of her inner strength and jumped forward. A near miss really. The girl coughed as she pushed herself up from the ground, noting the throbbing pain coming from her wrist and grabbed onto it as she stepped forward for the third obstacle. As she stepped the ground quickly parted and she dropped into the dark void, quickly reacting and flew into the air and lasers targeting her. Her right hand extended to throw small blasts of energy in each direction and deflecting the lasers easily. The course quickly reset itself into the final phase, the mechanisms rising from the ground and began dispelling discs, the girl moved effortlessly in and out of them- blasting some or deflecting one. In the midst of the chaos, one from behind rose and shot a single birdarang. Destiny's reaction was just short as she rose her left hand to deflect, the sharp rang just barely slicing along her wrist. "Ahh!" she flinched and immediately fell to the ground from about 6 feet in the air.

The course timer dinged as Robin stood to his feet. Destiny grunted as she looked up, Beast Boy was instantly at her side. "Are you okay?" he asked noting the smell of blood as he got closer. "I'm okay." she answered quickly and pushed herself to her feet. "Nice...I didn't hear that one." the girl huffed to catch her breath as they moved closer to the console where the others were. She flopped onto her butt and peeled off the fingerless glove on her left hand, a sharp sound escaping her lips as she gazed at the wound. "Sorry..." Raven stated as she stepped down from the console and moved closer to the girl. "I turned the setting up to see if you could handle it." the girl nodded in understanding. A faraway gaze overtook Raven and her hands had a faint glow of periwinkle, raising them to the girl's wrist. In a matter of seconds, the slice had healed over and the pain in her wrist had subsided.

Destiny turned her head upward to look Raven in the eye and smiled. "Thanks..."

The afternoon pressed on with each of the remaining Titan's completing the course with ease and grace. After the Titan's finished their training session with their newcomer, they retreated inside for lunch. Everyone quickly gathered around the table as Cyborg present a rather large platter and crockpot, "Carnitas!" he drooled as he presented the meat and the platter full of all the helpings you could ask for. Each of the Titan's dug in, except Beast Boy- he had stopped in the kitchen and was seemingly creating some sort of masterpiece. The girl observed the heroes around the table as they assembled their lunch, her own plate had a neatly assembled carnitas with meat, cheese, avo, and some tomatoes. She took a small bite as BB found his spot beside her, his plate filled with some of the same veggies that was on the platter but with some grilled tofu. Destiny's navy eyes lifted to smile at him, "You're vegetarian?" she observed quite quickly and he beamed with confidence that someone noticed. "I am... I respect the animals that I can become." he stated with a shrug of his shoulders and dug into his food.

Conversation remained light over lunch and they quickly gathered around the sectional after. Robin stood tall just beyond the sectional with his hands behind his back and his shoulders straight. "Destiny...I have to say I'm rather impressed with the abilities you displayed for us today." his voice spoke with such confidence and determination; it made the small hairs on her arms stand in awe. Her navy eyes focused forward and drank in the compliment. BB beamed from point to point of his ears "She was great!" he added in and Robin nodded. "If you are interested..." he started with some hesitation in his voice as he scanned each of his friends faces. "...I think you'd add something to our team..."

Starfire suddenly burst into a fit of giggles and bounced into the air with glee. "Please! We can be the best of friends and do each other's hair and nails and..." her sweet voice boomed with happiness, Robin's hand lifted in the air and her voice fell short and he smiled, pulling a hand from behind his back with a communicator in his hand.

The girl's eyes light up as she slowly stood to her feet and stepped forward. "Welcome to the Titan's." he stated firmly and held the communicator out. Destiny turned her gaze up to Robin and back to the communicator and carefully accepted it from his palm. The room quickly became filled with cheers of excitement and celebration from three of the Titan's.

It was... a new beginning.


	3. She's Pretty Cool

Jump City

Friday Prevening

The rest of Thursday went smoothly. The Titan's settled for the evening and spent time with their new friend before she left for the evening. Friday morning and afternoon, the Titan's went about their usual business. The moment the clock struck 3, BB made a run for the door and left.

The sun was just beginning to move down from the sky, casting sharp glows of orange across the city. The streets were bustling with cars and people filled the sidewalks. It was Friday after all. BB made his way through the city as an emerald colored pigeon. He quickly made his way West across the city, shifting forms as he neared the ground just outside of the high school football stadium. "Hey, you came!" the girl beamed as she stepped off of a bench and ignored the other cheerleaders that lingered. Destiny was dressed in a cheerleading outfit that consisted of a very tight, short black and white mini-skirt and a crop top of matching colors. Her hair was pulled up into a luscious ponytail with thick curls and her face was made up in makeup and that standard red lip. BB chuckled "You asked..." he shrugged with a smile and they exchanged a brief high five.

The girl smiled and entered the chain-link fence with him. The field was bustling with warm-ups from both football teams and people were piling into the stands. "It's been a pretty quiet a day I take it...?" she questioned as they moved to sit at the bottom of the bleachers. BB nodded his head as he plopped down, his emerald eyes immediately focused on her. "Yeah...so far so good." the pair exchanged some small talk before another cheerleader approached. "Come on...we've got work to do" the teen said in annoyance. Destiny merely rolled her navy eyes and stood up from the bench, reaching into the hem of her skirt and handed BB a small wad of cash. "Here... get yourself some snacks if you'd like, I'll see you later.." she smiled and went running after the other cheerleader.

The evening seemed to pass well. Before they knew it, the sun had set and the sky was replaced with bright stars and blaring field lights. The game finished well for the home team. BB burped as he trashed the garbage from the snacks, he had consumed over the course of three hours, then made his way through the lingering crowd and down onto the field with a jump of the chain link fence. The girl was at the edge of the field, having changed out of her cheer outfit and into a pair of light blue jean shorts and a band t-shirt, her hair now cascading around her face and shoulders. She smiled as she met him half way. "Sorry if that was boring..." she started and he laughed in response, offering to take her bag from her. "It's not every day I get to see a high school football game, it was fine." Destiny nodded and he slung her heavy gym bag over his shoulder and they left the field and into the parking lot. "Well...thanks for coming. I'm starving though...wanna get a bite?" she asked, taking her bag from him as they reached a sleek black sedan, she popped the trunk and slung it in.

"I can always eat. I'm an animal remember." he retorted and she could only giggle in response. "I know a great place downtown, come on..." she gestured to the car and they piled in. They played music and exchanged light conversation on the drive into town, parking along the strip and feeding the meter when they got out. "It's about a block from here...have you ever had Marios?" she asked. Beast Boy's eyes light up in surprise and cheered. "Are you kidding?! He makes the best veggie burger." he drooled at the thought, "They also have the best sweet potatoes fries..." she chimed in. BB chuckled and shook his head. It was pretty clear to the naked eye that he had already smitten himself with the Titan's newfound friend.

After the brief walk, they found themselves just outside of a small modern restaurant that was bustling with business. The pair walked in and seated themselves at a high-top across the room. It's funny how time can pass so quickly when you enjoy who you are spending time with. The two talked for hours and enjoyed their food, keeping up with the others jokes. Before they knew it, the crowd had cleared and the evening had turned late. They paid their tab and left the small establishment, walking still in the opposite direction of the vehicle they had arrived in.

BB chuckled as he kicked a rock on the sidewalk and her giggle soon followed. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me that's not funny..." she giggled as she gently elbowed his side. The pair found themselves at the local park as they walked and simply enjoyed each other's company. A brief yawn stifled past her lips as she stretched out her arms, catching glimpse of the time on a clock at the corner of the park. "Wow...time flies! It's nearly 1!" she gasped as she turned to meet his gaze. "I suppose we should call it a night."

Destiny smiled and they exchanged their goodbyes, "I'll be fine..." she insisted when he offered to walk her back to the car. Beside himself he agreed and watch her leave. He chuckled to himself before shifting into a pigeon once more and soared high above the city- making his way home for the evening. He landed just at the base of the Tower and morphed into his human form, his fingers punching in his security code and immediately granted access. A loud yawn escaped his lips as he stepped into the elevator and made his way to the common room. "Ahhh!" he screamed as he walked into the common room just as Cyborg stepped to the door. "God dammit, man!" Cyborg exclaimed as he shook his head from the shock. "The hell have you been all evening?" he asked in a hushed tone, his palm touching the panel and initiating the lockdown for the night. Beast Boy could only shrug his shoulders with a grin painted on his lips, moving his way to the kitchen. "Destiny asked me to the football game, then we had dinner at Marios." he smiled as he retrieved a drink from the fridge and took a long gulp. Cyborg could only sigh as he walked closer, moving to sit at the island. "Man... are you sure you should be running after this girl so soon?" he questioned as BB threw himself up to sit on the counter. BB blinked in response and shrugged his shoulders. "What are you talking about Cy? It's not like it was a date, I was just getting to know her." he said defensively and took another swig of his drink. "She's pretty cool."

Cyborg shifted on the seat and shrugged his shoulders slightly. "We still hardly know her. I just don't want you going through what we went through...before." he stated carefully, his gaze never leaving his best friend. Beast Boy twitched slightly with a shake of his head. "It's fine." he said flatly, jumping off of the counter and tossing his soda can into the bin. "I'm tired..., good night." BB quickly made his exit for the night to avoid the rest of the conversation he didn't wish to have.

Beast Boy entered his room and the door whined closed behind him, he yawned as he tossed his communicator and phone down on the end table beside his bunkbeds. Immediately flopping his lanky body down and kicking off his combat boots. His phone lit up, his head turning for a moment then reached for his phone. It was from her. 'I made it home...good night.'

He smiled putting his phone back down and pulled the rest of his clothing off until he was left in just his Scooby boxers, nestling into bed and fell asleep.

Saturday Morning

8:45 AM

Beast Boy groaned at the quiet buzz blaring from across the room. He was never going to enjoy getting up early. He lazily rolled out of his bed and trudged to his monkey alarm clock, turning it off. A mumbled to himself and stumbled into his bathroom-emerging 10 minutes later having showered and dressed in a fresh uniform. A faint smell of vanilla and tofu filled his senses. He quickly styled his hair in his dirty mirror, shoving his phone and comm in his pocket and dashed his way to the common room. The doors whirled open, the smells of breakfast in the air.

Starfire and Destiny were in the kitchen together, chatting as they prepared a breakfast. Starfire was dressed in her usual attire and Destiny was dressed in what was considered her uniform; red shirt, black pants, combat boots, mask, and makeup. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. Raven was seated at the end of the island, sipping a tea and sometimes talking with the girls. Robin and Cyborg were planted at the dining table, chatting about news in the newspaper and having coffee.

Beast Boy smiled immediately and bounded into the kitchen, "Morning ladies!" he exclaimed, fishing OJ out of the fridge and pouring himself a glass. Cyborg blinked looking over his newspaper. "Man, your outta bed before 10?!" he said in shock. BB only rolled his eyes turning his attention back to the girls. Destiny smiled as she placed a platter down full of sausages, bacon, and tofu bacon. His eyes lit up and reached for some tofu bacon. "At!" Destiny grinned as she tapped his fingers, turning back to help Starfire finish the pancakes and eggs. "Go sit with the guys, it's almost done." he whimpered quietly and moved to sit at the table.

Within minutes, Destiny and Starfire presented their breakfast of pancakes, eggs, meats, fruit salad, and muffins. The Titan's sat down together, Destiny finding her place right next to BB and Starfire. The team enjoyed their breakfast and had some small chatter. "Oh, these little...muf-fans are so delightful!" Starfire exclaimed as she engorged her mouth with another one. Destiny smiled in response and nodded her head. "I'm glad you like them" she stated, catching BB by surprise as he looked up from his plate. "You made these? Dang..." he breathed as he finished his.

The morning quickly turned into noon, Starfire and Destiny cleaned up their mess from breakfast- exchanging small talk. Cyborg and BB had seated themselves at the tv to play video games, Raven was centered in the corner of the room to meditate, and Robin was nowhere to be seen. A new...typical Saturday. Destiny smiled triumphantly as she placed the dish towel down after she dried her hands, her navy eyes scanning the room and taking in the scene. Her eyes landing on Raven in the corner, she quietly made her way over. She stood quietly about three feet from Raven, simply observing. After a moment of complete quiet across the room, Raven peeked open one of her amethyst orbs. "What?" her voice rang dry, Destiny nervously smiled. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to break your trance. Is it okay if I join you?"

Raven opened both eyes and a small smile formed on her lips. "Sure..." she said. Destiny breathed in and focused. It took her a moment or so extra, but she found her center and together they meditated. In surprise, Starfire joined the pair on the sofa and observed. "Wow..." Starfire whispered, the three mesmerized that Raven gave in so easily.

After an hour or so, the meditation session had ended. Raven retreated to her room and Destiny found herself on the couch with Starfire. They giggled and chatted about the less interest facts of their lives. Just as the sun peaked in the afternoon sky, the room lit up in the glow of red and the alarm rang out-echoing across the metal walls. Like they had so many times before, the three seasoned Titan's sprang to their feet as Robin and Raven burst through the main doors. "Let's go!" with that, Robin quickly turned on his heel and everyone ran after him. Destiny took suit and followed.

Jump City

Somewhere Downtown

Jump First National

The High Five-Jinx, Gizmo, Mammoth, Kyd Wykkyd, Billy Numerous, and See-more cheered as they exited the building with their loot in tow, feeling triumphant they had gotten this far and no sign of the Titan's. That is...until now.

"Not so fast..." Robin said confidently, standing proud with his arms across his chest and his team behind him. "It looks like you've just overdrawn..." he grinned. "Titan's Go!"

The team sprang forth, dividing themselves amongst the foes. Robin went toe to toe with See-more, Starfire to Billy Numerous, Raven to Kyd, BB to Mammoth, Cyborg to Gizmo and that left the newbie with Jinx. The two girls immediately went to hand to hand combat, each dealing impressive blows and hits. Destiny grunted as she was kicked aside, skidding across the asphalt on her boots. "A little bad luck...?" Jinx purred with excitement; her hands omitted waves of pink electricity to break up the pavement at the girl's feet. BB and Mammoth's fight had eventually moved to the roof top of the neighboring building, BB in a tall gorilla form and exchanging even hits with Mammoth. Gizmo and Cyborg were showing off their expertise with one another in the air, Raven and Kyd were on even terms and Robin and Starfire were back to back fending off their foes. It was actually an even fight instead of any easy mop up.

Jinx purred as she caught the girl off guard, sending her high above the buildings. The girl quickly caught her balance in the air, only to be leveled in the back with a sharp laser to the back from Gizmo's miss of Cyborg. "Ah!" the pain quickly filling her senses from the burning sensation, her body quickly plummeting from the sky. Beast Boy's head flew the moment he heard the blast, kicking Mammoth off of his body and phasing quickly into a pterodactyl, diving quickly off the building he was on. The girl screamed for a moment as she fell, slowly regaining awareness of what was happening. "Oomph!" she grunted just as BB swooped underneath her and caught her on his back. She groaned rolling onto her stomach to avoid the burn on her back touching him. "Nice catch..." Beast Boy squawked in response, she grinned and bounded into the sky as he moved to finish his fight with Mammoth.

After about another 20 minutes, the Hive Five had been apprehended and were behind handed over to the local police. The Titan's cleaned up some of the aftermath and then gathered as Robin spoke with the local authorities. Beast Boy morphed into his human form as he touched the ground and was immediately at the girl's side where she stood beside the rest of the team. "Hey..., are you okay?" he asked as he got close, the smell of burnt flesh filling his senses. She waved him off and nodded. "I'm fine...it'll heal."

The pace back to the tower was rather slow and quiet. When they returned, Cyborg cleaned the girl's wound with some materials from the first-aid and bandaged it-then she changed into a new top. Beast Boy was ready to make his move to ask her out for the evening, but Starfire beat him to the punch. "Would you like to go to the shopping with me?!" Destiny merely laughed with a shrug of her shoulders, "Sure...why not!"

With that, the two girls disappeared for much of the evening until the sun began to settle across the horizon. Beast Boy managed to keep himself busy with video games and snacks, Cyborg had spent much of the late afternoon working on his beloved T-Car, Robin worked on his reports and Raven read. After he grew so bored, Beast Boy decided to trudge his way down the long corridors of the tower. He stood small outside of Robin's office before nervously knocking. With the quiet shuffle of papers and a few moments passed, the door whipped open and the two men were face to face. "I'm busy right now..." Robin pressed as he placed a hand on the door frame. "What?" he asked, reading the puzzling expression on the green man's face.

"I was wondering...do you think it'd be okay if we cleared a room for her?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes briefly twinkling in the fluorescent lights. It took a long moment before Robin could even fathom an answer for him. With a heavy sigh, Robin drug his hand over his face and shrugged. "Yeah...we can do that for her." The green man lit up like the fourth of July and morphed into a cheetah- bounding down the corridor and rounding a corner. Robin shook his head as he rolled his eyes behind that mysterious mask, retreating back into his lonesome office.

Beast Boy bounded the halls coming to a halt just outside a blank door, opening it with the keypad after morphing into his human form. The doors whined warily and the lights turned on as he stepped in. What used to be Terra's room had now been cleared and was nothing but a metal shell. He sighed heavily observing the heavy dust over the room but set his mind to cleaning it up and making it presentable...for her.


	4. Where is He?

Jump City

Friday afternoon

The week had come and gone in a blur. The team finding themselves in a new routine. Destiny would spend the days finishing school before summer break and her evenings she spent with her new friends. Crime had been pretty quiet for much of the week- just the occasional petty crime that the team just overseen and didn't really involve themselves unless necessary- saving it for the local officials. Surprisingly, the Titan's had quickly accepted this newcomer into their routines and learning bits and pieces of who she was.

The golden sun was creeping its way down just across the horizon, the golden and orange hues blanketing the city in the familiar warmth it offered. As of the day before, Destiny was on summer break- having just finished her junior year. Destiny and Starfire had spent much of the morning and early noon together frolicking at the local mall and just chatting about things that didn't seem to matter. Soon, finding themselves back at the tower with nothing else to do for the day.

Beast Boy grinned from ear to ear as he entered the common room, his eyes quickly scanning the room and landing on the girls in the kitchen- caught in casual conversation. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he bounded down the few stairs and crossed the room, into the kitchen. Destiny lifted her gaze from Starfire and turned slightly in her seat. "I'm glad you're here, I have a surprise for you- come on!" he bounced impatiently on his feet, gently grabbing hold of the girl's wrist and pulling her along behind him. With little protest and guidance, the pair found themselves just beyond the rest of the Titan's bedroom doors and in front of a sleek metal door with an engraved metal plate that read 'Destiny'.

Beast Boy smiled, touching his hand to the keypad and watched the reaction of his new friend. "I've worked on it all week to get it cleaned up...but..." he trailed off as the door swooshed open and Destiny stepped forward. Her eyes immediately noticing the deep red shade the walls had been painted, somewhat recently as that familiar smell of construction wafted her nostrils. Next, noticing a rather plush queen-sized bed and bedroom furniture, simple but useful. A shy smile broke across her lips as she turned on her heel to meet the green man's face. "This is for me?" she asked in surprise, breathing in a deep breath of air.

The boy reached out and gently touched her small shoulder, beaming from ear to ear. "You're a Titan now...I figured you deserved your own room." The girl immediately grinned as she stepped into the green man and wrapped her strong arms around his frame in a tight hug. Beast Boy's eyebrow twitched slightly at the sudden embrace; his senses quickly filled with a musky vanilla scent as he returned her hug- noting the curves of her hips in his arms. "Thank you..." she stated, quickly stepping out of the embrace that lasted maybe a moment too long. She giggled as she twirled away from him and walked further into the room, her hand grazing the comforter and flopped onto her butt. "This is so awesome!" she squealed, falling back onto her back with her arms extended to the ceiling.

Beast Boy smiled with pride as he crossed his arms over his chest, studying her reaction. The girl grinned wide as she stood to her feet. "Thank you..." she breathed, "I don't deserve all of this..." her words just barely a whisper as a dark look filled her navy eyes. Quickly realizing her faulter, she sniffled quietly and blinked away the thoughts that swirled. Starfire soon appearing at the doorway dressed in what appeared to be beach attire- the alien stood with pride in a fuchsia overshirt that was just see-through enough to catch a glimpse of the barely their silver one piece she wore. "Shall we make the haste to the bee-ch?" she exclaimed, flipping her red locks over her shoulder. BB taking a glance between the two woman and puffed out his chest, "Hey...you're going to the beach without me?" he whined in protest as Destiny stepped past him to join Starfire at the door. "Then why are you waiting around..." Destiny replied with a smirk painted on her cheeks. With a sparkle in his eyes, the trio bounded for the beach.

Jump City

Friday

Eastern Shores Mid Afternoon

The golden beaches were lightly scattered with water goers- some children building sand castles, ladies tanning on blankets, and vendors trying to sell the foods they had to offer. The trio settled for a spot just beyond the crowds, Destiny and Starfire each laid out a large towel- Starfire instantly stripping off her cover up, her orange skin glowing in the sun's rays. Somewhere along the way, Beast Boy had shed his normal attire for a pair of shorts and a white beater tank top with sandals on his green feet. Destiny had changed as well, sporting a deep red cover up and slowly discarding it just as Starfire had- wearing nothing but a similar one-piece bathing suit as Starfire but in a rich black color and it sat a little higher on the girl's hips- accenting her natural milky curves. Starfire plopped onto her fluffy towel, retriving a bottle of sun tan lotion from her bag and slathered it on her body as Destiny joined her on the towel beside her.

Beast Boy quickly dove for the water as he kicked his sandals aside, the cool water quickly enveloping his green body as he shifted into a standard bass fish- enjoying the freedom the water offered. Starfire and Destiny exchanged some light small talk, Star offering the tanning lotion to the pale girl beside her. She laughed quietly and took it from Starfire, lathering her arms and legs with some. "Can you put some of the lotion from the sun on my back?" she asked as she moved her red hair from her shoulders. Destiny rolled her eyes with a smile on her face and rubbed it across her back. "For someone that's been here for such a long time, it's interesting how you interpret our language..." she noted aloud. Starfire merely giggled with a shrug of her shoulders as she turned to face her. "I know the thing or two..." she exclaimed as the girl handed back the bottle of lotion- making a motion to lay out on her towel. "But what about your back?" Starfire asked quickly as she squirted the lotion into her hands, "You do not want the burns..." she shivered at the thought of sun burn and smiled.

Destiny nervously turned her attention back to Starfire, a weary look overcoming her navy eyes. "It's okay..." she said quietly, but Starfire persisted- moving around the girl's small body and moved her dark hair. A quiet gasp escaped her lips, her emerald eyes drinking on the excessive scarring across the girl's back...and a very distinct scar in the shape of that looming...S... that had been carved into her skin at some point and had healed strange. "Where on Earth did you get such scars!" Starfire exclaimed in a loud tone as she rubbed the lotion across the girl's pale skin. The girl quickly hushed Starfire, moving her hair to cover her back once again. "I'd rather not talk about it..." she replied quietly.

The afternoon trudged on as expected. The trio spent time sun-tanning and swimming in the murky blue water. A great afternoon slowly turning to evening and the reminder of their duties looming. The girls' gathered their belongings as Beast Boy rinsed the sand from his sandals, turning back to catch a glimpse of scarring on Destiny's back as she put back on the cover up. A mental note to ask etching its self in the back of his mind. By the time the trio had returned to the tower, Cyborg had prepared his enfamous spaghetti for dinner- proudly presenting it to his friends as they filed around the table.

Much after dinner, Beast Boy had just finished a round of basketball with Cyborg and Robin on the roof- the boys making small talk about different subjects and teasing. Beast Boy chuckled as he stumbled to sit beside his water bottle, taking a large guzzle as he watched Cyborg and Robin fight for the next basket. "I think I wanna ask her out..." he said with confidence, his emerald eyes lost in thought. Cyborg and Robin abruptly stopped in their tracks and turned their attention to the green man that seemed lost in thought.

"Beast Boy..." Robin began his reprimand as he moved away from the basketball court. "She seems...great, but we barely know her. Are you sure that's such a good idea?" His words ringing true and holding some sort of eerie meaning. Beast Boy sighed heavily, crossing his legs where he sat and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't keep tip-toeing around because of her..." the memories of Terra filling his senses, shaking the cold feeling that quickly brushed over his shoulders. "But..." he trailed off, lifting his head to meet Robin's stern gaze. "I guess...I'll wait."

Titan's Tower

Jump City

Wednesday Evening

The days had continued with a new normalcy. Destiny spent some of her time training with the team, befriending Starfire and Beast Boy easily- but trying to warm up to the rest of the Titan's. It was quite a gloomy day for summer time, winds licking the trees with a fierce blow and periods of rain pelted the city. That blaring noise of trouble soon filling the metal walls of the ominous T at the center of the bay. "Trouble on the North side!" Robin exclaimed as he typed away at the main panel near the kitchen, the team readying themselves- bolting for the exit.

As the team made their way into the city, it was clear they were going in the right direction. People screamed and scattered past them as they approached the North Shore, cars, buildings, and asphalt had clearly been disheveled by something quite large. That someone quickly revealed to them as they rounded the corner- the full raging view of Cinderblock just a few blocks away. His stone hands ripping into a large office building, glass and metal shattering to the ground with his force. "Cinderblock!" the fearless leader exclaimed, catching the large figure's attention as he threw down a large metal beam. "Titan's Go!" he screamed, the team jumping forward to their opponent.

It became apparent as they charged forward that something was quite different about this encounter. A dark feeling washing over each of them as they sprang into action. Cinderblock groaned in fury; a familiar 'S' symbol had been etched into the face of his body. Robin's senses were immediately engorged with rage and confusion. He couldn't understand the why...but he needed to know why- and soon. The girls quickly took to the skies above the looming figure, each blowing a pretty nice blow. Cyborg and Beast Boy together with BB in his pterodactyl form and Cyborg on his back, blasting his sonic cannon at 25% power. Robin battle cry rang out as he sprang forward into the air, swinging his combat boot and bo staff hard into the opponent's chest- attempting to push him from his feet.

Cinderblock was on his blocks well today. He effortlessly pounded his feet into the ground, sending a rippling wave of force across the atmosphere. The force of wind pushing Beast Boy and Cyborg back, Raven and Starfire seemingly getting pushed back. Robin grunted as Cinderblock grabbed onto his ankle and swung his body into the air- his fist following through and connecting with Robin's chest- his grappler and bow staff dropping from his hand as he flew some 1,000 feet into the air. His thoughts instantly racing to the pain in his chest and how to get himself out of the moment he faced.

Destiny quickly regained her awareness from being pushed back, diving upwards quickly. Robin yelled as he fell- full expecting to eat asphalt. In one abrupt motion, he felt someone latch onto his hand and pull him back into the air. His attention swinging upward to catch glimpse of Destiny's hand in his and a small smile on her face. "Don't worry..." her voice commanded with confidence, "I've got you." a sense of gratitude washed over him as they focus on the foe at hand for a moment. The girl's eyes glazing over with that familiar flame. "I've got an idea..." she breathed, her right hand presenting him with her compact bow staff. A sheepish grin quickly spread across his face, somehow in the moment of the chaos...his chest filled with a sense of trust. "Let's do it." he breathed. The pair moved well together in the air, a sort of...rhyme and reason to their flow.

The girl smiled in response, swinging them both high into the air above Cinderblock. "Ready?" she asked with a chuckle, swinging Robin around once and flinging him forward in a haste. His voice ringing out with a battle cry, extending the staff in his hand- it lighting to life. He could feel the vibration in his palms that it set off looking for its power source. He expertly drove it forward, power suddenly bursting from its ends and exploding on impact with Cinderblock's firm chest. The blast pushing Robin back in the air but was quickly caught by the hand of her once again. The force and drive of the blast, pushing Cinderblock to his back against the ground- just long enough for Raven to swoop in and secure him.

The team quickly regrouped not far from the foe that kicked and thrashed against his newfound restraints- cries of agony escaping the stoner. Robin breathed as he picked up his tools, tossing the girl's staff into the air and her catching it easily- as if they had somehow crossed paths before. He grunted placing a hand against his chest and coughed as he moved forward. "Where did you get that!?" his voice boomed, jumping high into the air and landing on Cinderblocks chest. The creature merely screaming in protest. "Where is Slade?" the ominous name leaving his lips and the looming darkness bursting at the seams. A cloud of smoke quickly burst around the group of teens, as the smoke cleared- Cinderblock had disappeared and they were left with Slade bot's surrounding them.

Each Titan shared a glance between them, drinking in the feeling of despair and wonder. What they thought had been finished all those years ago seemed to be back in the wake. "No..." Robin spoke quietly to himself as the bots slowly moved forward. "Titan's!" he screamed, each member jumping forward into battle. It took them well over four hours to finish the non-ending line of bots. Robin gripped onto the last bot and shook it was a vengeance. "What do you want!" he screamed, his mouth foaming with rage. An eerie audio recording rang through their eyes, a menacing laugh that felt like the end of the world loomed. "My Robin..." the deep voice played, "it's been quite a long time. You didn't think I had vanished, did you?" the voice chuckled with desire. "I thought better of you." Robin seethed with rage, "What's your play?" he questioned again.

"You'll know soon enough...thing's aren't always what they seem now are they dear boy." his voice ringing in their ears, Robin yelled as he tossed the bot aside before it burst into a million pieces. The girl stepped forward in curiosity, "Who was that?" she questioned aloud though her body screamed nervousness. The four Titan's hung their heads in silence as Robin quickly turned on his heel, his body and face filled with anger. "Slade..." in a fit of anger, he pushed forward and left the Titan's to clean up the mess alone. A pit in the girl's stomach burned, her hands shaking. "Why..." she questioned quietly to herself. Her eyes studying her newfound friends and shivered at the feeling that hung in the air.


	5. A Sense of Wonder

Jump City

Titan's Tower

Thursday Evening

The previous night went on without much protest. The team had returned home and took up their respective places around the Tower in complete silence, drinking in the events from the evening and pondering the events to come. Thursday had started just the same, the city in a gloomy glow of misty rain and the Titan's emotions much in the same place. No one made a move to eat or drink, Beast Boy and Cyborg were sulked on the couch watching a movie. Raven had nestled into a seat at the dining table, playing a game of chess alone while Starfire sat not far from her- painting her nails in complete silence. Destiny breathed in deeply as she stepped into the common room, her navy eyes drinking in the display before her. The heroes she envied so, had been pushed down a peg. The room stale with emotions. A deep sense of regret and anguish swelling in her chest as she observed them, the darkness eating at her. With a shake of her head-she was able to see straight through to what needed to be done for the people she admired most.

With determination, she turned on her toes and exited the room-disappearing down the corridor and making a bee line for the exit. Within about thirty minutes time, Destiny returned to the common room with three reusable tote bags in hand, fresh groceries spilling from the edges. A light hum leaving her lips as she took her place in the kitchen and immediately got to work on something for dinner. She couldn't let the villain in this picture deflate this team. They were the only hope anyone had left after all, especially hers.

The girl worked well in the kitchen- chopping vegetables, sautéing them, and putting away extras as she moved along. Soon, the common room filled with thick, comforting aromas of food. She had two pots sat on the stove, one rather large stock pot and a smaller one- the oven running and so forth. A good hour had passed with her moving about the kitchen, before slowly piling things onto the table. Destiny carefully placed a very large bowl of what appeared to be some sort of soup, homemade dinner rolls, and a bowl of hand cut salad. A loud whistle escaping her lips to catch the attention of all of her newfound friends in the room, Starfire and Raven scooted closer together- drinking in the smells the food gave off. "What is that GLORIOUS smell..." Starfire breathed with wonder and excitement, Cyborg and Beast Boy eagerly rose to their feet as Destiny moved a smaller bowl to the table which seemed to be the same type of soup-but perhaps...vegan; and sat it down. "Alright guys..." she said with power in her voice, her eyes scanning each face as they took their spots at the table. "Yesterday was a rough day..., I get it. But we can't let that eat us alive today. Now, eat." her voice boomed with confidence and presented everyone with bowls. The four Titan's happily dug into the food; her brows furrowed. "I'm going to get-" her voice cut off as Cyborg lifted a hand to interject. "I wouldn't do that...Slade has a way of getting in his head, I'm sure he's locked up tight in his office." his words falling flat. Her navy eyes scanned each Titan as they exchanged a sideways glance between them, waiting for the girl's response.

The girl shook her head with determination, she wasn't going to allow that thought to deter her- with that she disappeared down the main corridor out of the common room. Within minutes she found herself planted outside of Robin's office. With a deep breath, she reached her hand up and firmly knocked. A quiet grumble to 'go away' could just barely be heard. Destiny rolled her eyes and firmly knocked once again. On the other side of the door, you could hear papers ruffling and a chair move-the feeling of rage flowing in the air. Soon, the door unclicked and swooshed open in a hurry. Robin appeared partly disheveled; his face tired from a long night of whatever he does in that room. But that didn't cover the wash of rage and wonder booming from his presence- "I'm working-" his words immediately cut short as she raised her hand in the air to silence him. A brief look of surprise washing over his face.

"You have to eat. I made dinner; you can't go without eating. A leader needs his strength." she said in a firm voice. Her navy eyes reading his face carefully, though it was always full of mystery. Robin quietly snorted with a shake of his head, his hand lifting to the key panel inside the room. "Sorry...I've got work to do." with that, the door swished closed and locked in an instant. Destiny grunted loudly in frustration as she walked away, a switch turning on in her head. With haste, she flew her way back to the common room and bounded into the kitchen. She spent a good ten minutes rummaging through the cabinets, the other four Titan's exchanging small talk and glances at her.

Finally, she came across an old wooden platter. A sense of victory washed over her as she pulled it from the dark corner of the cabinet, cleaning the dust off and began loading the platter with food. She included a very large bowl of soup, salad, a small plate filled with the rolls, some sodas, and a very large pot of fresh coffee and a clean mug. In a blur- she flew herself out of the common room and found herself in front of his office door again. Destiny gently placed the platter down outside of the room, firmly knocking on the door. A sound couldn't be heard in response but she knocked again and again for several minutes. Finally, she could hear firm footsteps crossing the room- she quickly lifted into the air against the ceiling to hide her presence.

Robin swished the door open quickly; a look of anger stricken on his face. "Wha-" he began to call out in disgust, only to find no one on the other side of the door. His eyes quickly looking left and right before noticing the platter of goods at his feet. He breathed in slowly, running his gloved hand over his face and reached for the platter; disappearing back into his office and the door locking behind him. His senses quickly filled with gratitude as he sat the platter on his desk and dug into his dinner.

Destiny smiled triumphantly as she dashed her way back to the common room and placed herself at the table with the rest of the Titans who were eagerly eating their dinner and talking. "Told ya.." Cyborg said quietly with a look to his side to see the girl's response. "What matters is he took the platter and I assume he's eating. We'll all need strength if this is as bad as you're making it out to be." her voice ringing with happiness and a brief hint of nervousness, before digging into her own dinner. The room remained quiet again for most of the evening, Cyborg and Beast Boy playing a video game quietly- which was pretty rare for them. Usually, the pair were loud in arms about the games they played. Raven had moved to the furthest corner of the room- deep in a centered meditation and Starfire had long gone to her bedroom, the overwhelming emotions in the room too much for the Princess to bare.

With the gloom in the air- Destiny had decided a good workout sounded great. She had changed into a pair of her finest black booty shorts, a deep red shaded sports bra, her hair pulled back into a luscious ponytail and a pair of her black combat boots. It took her a few minutes but she finally stumbled upon the gym; the doors whining apart as she stepped to the threshold and through. The fluorescent lights flickered on slowly as she stepped into the room, drinking in the surroundings. She started off with a few stretches to warm up her muscles before decided on a quick run on the treadmill, placing her phone in one of the divots, some pop/country music blaring from the device. She ran for quite a while, increasing the speed every ten minutes until she topped out at the max speed; her feet quickly crashing across the moving belt. A bit of sweat slowly starting to glisten across her skin and her hair swiping in the haste of her running. She groaned deeply as she missed a step in the quickness of her run and her body immediately jerking backwards off of the treadmill, catching herself in the motion and sliding across the metal floor before hitting her back against the wall. With a deep breath out- she pushed herself forward and turned off the treadmill she had just finished with, wiping it down with some sanitizer nearby and moved on. Soon finding herself in a heated exchange with a well beaten body bag hanging in the far corner of the room.

As the evening past, Beast Boy quickly grew bored of sitting around. The gloom still hanging in his chest was eating his quirks alive. He decided if something was going to happen, it was going too. It wasn't going to do him any good sitting around and waiting for it around each corner. With that determination in mind, he pushed himself off of the couch and threw down his controller. "I'm doing it..." he said with a stern to his voice, his emerald eyes catching Cyborg's gaze for just a moment before bounding out of the room down the left hall. Cyborg could only roll his eyes in protest as he switched the tv off. "I just hope he knows what he's getting himself into..." his deep voice cutting through the silence, not really talking to anyone but voicing his concerns aloud. Raven had opened her eyes during the exchange, breaking the deep meditation she had. "I don't think he does..., I don't think any of us do. But whatever it is...we have to be ready." Raven's monotone ringing dry, the two exchanged a long silent gaze of understanding of what they truly didn't know about this girl, before returning their current events.

Beast Boy walked with a bit of haste in him, he didn't know what was going to happen- but he had to try. His heart ringing itself into a tight knot as all of the possibilities flashed in his mind. With a deep breath he centered himself in front of her door, gently knocking. A few moments passed before he knocked again, his brow furrowed with confusion. "Uh...hello?" he spoke. His ear twitching to listen in and see if she was even in there. No heartbeat. He breathed out heavily and breathing in again, this time catching a fading scent of vanilla and heavy sweat. Beast Boy's eyes lit up with determination once again as he bounded down the corridors of the Tower, making a bee-line for her scent. The scent getting strong and fierce the closer he got to their in-home gym. Quickly finding himself outside of those very doors, he calmly walked in. The metal doors parting to grant him access, his eyes quickly observing the room and spotting her in the far corner.

Destiny was grunting, heaving, and maneuvering around the beaten bag hanging from the ceiling. Her milky skin covered in a thick layer of sweat as she pounded into it. The abrupt noise of the doors opening immediately caught her attention, wobbling backwards as she turned to see who had come in, reaching her palms to her hair and tightening her ponytail. A bright smile breaking across her red lips as Beast Boy stepping into the room and crossed the distance between them. Beast Boy waved his gloved hand, "Hey...I wanted to ask you something..." his voice going quiet with a nervous grin on his face. She huffed to catch her breath, reaching for a small towel she had nearby and patted some sweat from her face. "Sure..." she breathed, "What's up?" Destiny asked as she threw herself down on the bench, bending over to tighten the laces on her combat boots.

Beast Boy breathed in sharply as he contemplated what he was about to ask. His emerald eyes never leaving her, slowly moving to sit beside her. "Well..." he spoke with coy in his voice, running his hand through his green locks. "I was wondering..." Destiny slowly sat up once again, her navy eyes catching his gaze. He seemed to stutter on what he had to say. "If maybe...well...if you'd..." Beast Boy puffed out his chest in determination and gave her one of his signature grins.

"Would you...like to go out with me?" the question presenting an immediate buzz in her ears. "Like...on a date?" he finished. Her navy eyes glazing over with wonder and anguish. This wasn't the plan. Of course, nothing until this moment had been part of her plan. Beast Boy faltered at the expression written on her face, his expression quickly deflating. Destiny's mind raced with what the response she had for him, noting his reaction to hers. "I..." she began, going quiet to process what he had just asked. Beast Boy cleared his throat and stood to his feet in a slow motion, Destiny's eyes stretching a bit wider and quickly reached out her sweaty palm and grabbed onto his arm. She slowly stood to her feet; pulling on his arm to bring his attention back to her. He nervously turned his attention back to hers, his emerald eyes stuck to his feet. "Sure." she said simply, a small smile on her face.

The approval rang in his pointed ears, his eyes lit up like the 4th of July as he turned his head upwards to meet her small gaze. His face breaking into a sheepish, toothy grin. A quick sense of pride and nervous waves filling the pit of his stomach, his mind racing to find a response. He hadn't expected to get this far with it. Destiny's smile stayed on her face, her hand sliding off of his arm and cleared her throat to break the silence between them. "Did you have something in mind...?" her navy eyes never leaving his face, dabbing her towel at her skin to soak up some of the excess sweat. Beast Boy shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face. "I was thinking maybe we could see a movie or something..." he admitted, moving his hand to the back of his neck. His emerald eyes still in captured by her gaze of wonder. She simply nodded her head as she stepped past him. "That sounds nice..." with it said, she made her way for the door. Beast Boy scrambling to get in the last word as he followed behind her. "Tomorrow?" he asked.

Destiny looked over her shoulder as she exited the gym, "See you then." she smiled as she took her moment, enveloping herself into a deep red portal and vanished in thin air. Beast Boy whooped with joy as the confidence filled his chest. "Yeah!" he cheered before morphing into a green printed cheetah, bounding his way down the corridors. Tomorrow wouldn't be able to come quick enough...


	6. Date Night!

Titans Tower

Friday Morning

The night passed in a blur. Destiny rose early- just as the sun was rising beyond the horizon. She scrambled to her feet and into the bathroom, showering quickly for the day and dressing in her uniform. Quickly she made her way through the cold corridors before finding herself outside of Starfire's door, gently knocking.

Starfire stretched her arms out overhead with a quiet yawn as she crossed the pink carpet in her room, the door swishing open as she approached. A bright smile spread across her face and her emerald orbs sparkling with joy. "Why...good morning!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Destiny returned the smile as she cleared her throat, her navy eyes focusing on her emerald eyes. "Would you wanna...go to the mall with me?" Destiny asked. Overjoyed, Starfire quickly agreed. The pair buzzing about the tower and leaving in a jiff.

The morning trudged on mostly as normal about the tower. Starfire and Destiny making it to the mall just outside the city in record time with their flight capabilities. The two settled into a café just inside the mall, enjoying a quick breakfast and exchanging conversation. Destiny sighed quietly as she stirred the coffee in the mug, her navy eyes focused in on the swirling; deep in thought. Starfire cleared her throat as she pushed a piece of her red hair behind her ear, staring at the girl before her. "You seem...lost in the mind..." she spoke with curiosity. Destiny shook her head to snap out of her inner corners of her mind and her gaze lifting to meet Starfire's. She politely shrugged her shoulders and sat her spoon down.

"Sorry...I didn't realize I was so deep in thought."

Starfire could only smile at the girl as she reached out her golden hand and gently patted the girl on her hand. "I hope that whatever is troubling you...that you can the trust me enough to share when you are ready." Her words breaking into the girl's inner thoughts. Destiny could only smile in response, her eyes leaving Star's gaze as she slowly pushed to stand. "I just hope you'll be willing to listen when that time comes." the girl's voice quiet. "Let's partake in some retail therapy...shall we?" With that, the girls took off into the mall. They spent time in various shops window shopping, trying on new clothing and shoes, smelling new perfumes, trying on jewelry- a real good girl time. By the time the pair finished in the mall, noon had come and gone.

They returned to the tower in a fit of giggles and parting ways when they entered the building. Destiny had a date to get ready for after all. She puffed out a breath of air as she stepped into her room and the door whisked closed, immediately dropping her few shopping bags to the ground. A deep wash of anguish and dread filling her senses. The girl shook her head as she crossed the room and plopped on her bed, kicking off her dusty combat boots and laying back- her navy eyes staring at the ceiling deep in thought.

Time seemed to pass with ease today. Each moment getting closer. Beast Boy fidgeted in the place where he stood waiting on the roof, they had agreed to meet at 6 there so they could keep their time out together a secret. Perhaps they both understood that this was a risky idea for them. He had chosen a more casual look for this, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a plain purple t-shirt. He sighed to himself as he ran a hand through his hair; slowly beginning to pace back and forth with his mind deep in thought. The nervousness brimming inside of him. Within a few minutes, the door to the roof opened quietly and Destiny stepped through as she closed the metal door behind her. The girl wore a short sleeve sun dress that sneaked just past her full hips, it was a beautiful teal color that was decorated with simple white flowers and paired with a simple pair of strappy sandals, a single pearl necklace hung daintily around her neck; her dark brown hair had been straightened and hung neatly around her face done in makeup with her signature red lip. A brief smile broke across her face as she stepped forward. "Sorry...you couldn't imagine how hard it is to do the buckle on these..." as she gestured to her sandals.

Beast Boy sucked a breath in as he took in the girl before him. No matter what happened from this point on, there was no denying that she was beautiful. He stifled a chuckle past his lips and nodded in understanding. "You look..." he paused on his words and continued once he decided on a word. "...great." he stated simply. Destiny sported a smile as her navy eyes left his gaze. "You don't look so bad yourself..." she commented. "Shall we...go?" he asked. With that, he morphed into an eagle and she took to the sky. The pair flew easily across the city to the bustling city, deciding to land just outside of downtown as to not draw too much attention to their presence. They walked quietly together for a few moments as they stopped on the street corner- waiting for the sensor. He cleared his throat before speaking, "It was really nice of you to make dinner yesterday..." he began, "...it's been a long time since we've had to deal with Slade. So, it's...hard." his words falling short. Destiny turned her head to meet his gaze for a moment, drinking in the wisdom that fell. She nervously nodded her head and darted across the street with him the moment the sensor turned, pushing some hair behind her ear. "It wasn't a big deal."

The pair quietly continued their walk into downtown, exchanging some small talk and jokes. Destiny's smile coming and going in every moment, a thick cloud of darkness filling her chest-but somehow his jokes poking through. Finally, they stood out front of one of the nicer theatres in the city- studying each poster to discuss pros and cons of each movie; eventually deciding on a comedy. Beast Boy eagerly paid for their tickets, the pair filed inside and decided on some popcorn to snack on during the movie- deciding on seats towards the back in case they needed to leave in a hurry. Again, they exchanged some quiet small talk about mostly nothing as they waited for other movie goers to find their seats and the previews to start. The theater going dark and the sounds booming as the previews began.

Time has always been a funny concept. It can feel like it's passing in an instant and it can feel like it's not passing at all. They remained quiet through-out the movie, sometimes glancing at each other when the other wasn't looking. Beast Boy yawned quietly to stretch his arm behind her shoulders. She noted the sudden heat across her shoulder blades, sucking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly. By the end of the movie they had finished their popcorn, exiting the theater room among the first to avoid the on-coming crowd. "Well...it was funnier than I expected." Destiny said as she tossed the bag from their snack away, the pair slowly walking for the exit. He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I thought so too. At least they saved the cheesy jokes from me." Beast Boy grinned as he watched her roll eyes at him. They exchanged smiles before exiting the building and heading East. "There's a place around the corner that has great Ramen..." he breathed, his emerald eyes never leaving her.

Destiny lifted her gaze from the sidewalk in front of her to meet his, painting a smile on her lips. "That sounds great. I'm pretty hungry." The two walked in mostly silence for a couple blocks before shuffling into a small Japanese inspired restaurant- each ordering something rather alike and seated themselves in a far corner. They ate quietly for the first half of their meal, each fidgeting quietly in their seat. Beast Boy finally decided to break the ice and speak.

"So... what about your history?" he asked inquisitively. Destiny cleared her throat abruptly and took a drink from her water. Her navy eyes filled with a sudden sorrow and guilt. Beast Boy lifted his gaze to hers. "You've never really talked about your family." he noted. She could only nod her head slightly as she sat her water back down. "Yeah..." she spoke quietly. "Well..., it's not great. I suppose that's why." her voice threaded with a nervous tone and took another bite of her meal. His gaze never leaving her, though not wanting to press. "My mother died years ago..." she stated with a shrug of her shoulders, lifting her gaze to meet with his once again. "My dad isn't the greatest guy and my siblings do their own thing." Destiny said, her tone falling flat. She smiled faintly at him and shrugged her shoulders once again. "I wasn't planned." Beast Boy cleared his throat, thinking how to tread carefully on her words. He simply smiled and a chuckle escaped his lips. "I don't think any of us are planned, we sort of happen. Birds and the bees...it does take two." he joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Destiny giggled with a roll of her eyes and sighed heavily, her gaze turning dark for several moments. "I suppose you're right. But..., sometimes we aren't proud of where we come from." her words full of some sort of meaning, but he pushed past the eerie feeling in his chest. The pair finished the rest of their meals in silence and just enjoyed the company they shared. Eventually, filing out of the restaurant and soon finding themselves in one of the city parks- choosing to sit under the trees in the far West corner of the park. Beast Boy cleared his throat as he threw himself onto the ground, propping himself up with his elbows- his emerald eyes flashing to look at her. "This is one of my favorite parks..." he spoke first, again. "It's always pretty quiet here." his emerald eyes turning from her and gazing at the green filled park. She nodded her head as she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin. "The city does a good job with the upkeep..." she commented. Beast Boy smiled and tried to continue their conversation. The pair talked lightly about their childhoods and upbringing. Her answers were short and unfinished- he noticed but decided not to pry. Destiny could only sigh heavily- the sun slowly beginning to disappear just beyond the horizon. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good date..." she spoke quietly, her gaze never meeting his. He quickly sat up right to try and mend. "Hey...I'm having a great time!" he exclaimed, his gaze staring at the girl beside him. The girl slowly lowered her legs, turning her head to meet his gaze- her navy eyes filled to the brim with tears that threatened to fall. She sniffled quietly as she rolled her eyes slightly and smiled at him. "You're a great guy." she started, her voice fluttering and lip quivering. "But I just...DON'T...understand..." she managed to spit out, a few tears breaking free of her navy eyes. She shook her head and sniffled once again, Beast Boy drinking in the display of emotions and trying to understand. "...you've just barely gotten to know me and you're so trusting." she breathed.

Beast Boy breathed out slowly and moved closer to the girl, closing the space between them in the grass- placing his palm on top of her hand where it lay. His emerald eyes filled with some sort of understanding, treading carefully on the words in his head. "You are right...I DO hardly know you..." he spoke with a firm tone, "...but..." Beast Boy stated as he gripped her hand into his to make a point, her eyes never leaving his. "...but...I can just feel...that you aren't a bad person." Destiny quietly choked on the breath of air that caught in her throat, sniffling through the emotions that hung in the air between them. Beast Boy sighed moving slightly on his hip, his hand moving from hers to touch her face- grazing his thumb across her cheek to wipe away a few of the tears she had shed. A light breath escaped her lips at his sudden touch on her face. "But if you truly DID...know me. You'd know that my very existence is bad." the words falling from her lips, confusion filling her sad eyes. Beast Boy shook his head as his hand moved away from her face and back to hers in the grass; racking his brain for the right words with a shake of his head. "You can't be all bad..." he started. "...if you were- you wouldn't have saved Robin the other day. You wouldn't be a hero." Beast Boy spoke with determination and pride in his voice, the words sticking to her like glue. For several long moments, the silence hung between them and their gazes.

She was the first to tighten the grip on his hand, their fingers just barely inter-twining together. It was almost like the air around them had paused. The two equally leaning in slowly and exchanging a small kiss. Beast Boy's senses quickly filling with her familiar scent of vanilla and a bit of salt from the tears she had shed within the past few moments, her lips soft and cold. It lasted but a few seconds but long enough to leave an impression on them. As they parted- she made a quick jerk away from him and her hand leaving his. Destiny shook her head in remorse as she pushed herself to her feet. "...I'm sorry..." she breathed heavily as he slowly stood after her. Beast Boy reached his hand back out to grab hold of her, but she jerked her hand from reach. "...I'm sorry..." she spoke again, shaking her head once again. "...as nice as this is...as good as it feels...I-" Destiny said with a newfound determination in her sad voice. She briefly lifted her head to meet his gaze. Beast Boy raised his hand into the air to silence her small protests, before speaking again. "I trust you." his voice suddenly ringing in her ears with power.

Destiny snorted at the thought; shaking her head again as she slowly stepped away from him. The light breeze slowly returning in the air between them, picking her hair up with it and across her face. "...you shouldn't...I'm...sorry" her voice but a whisper in the evening air. In an instant, the girl bounded into the air- a brief streak of deep red streaking the sky. "Wait!" Beast Boy's voice rang out, his hand reaching into the air. He quickly morphing his body into a falcon. He immediately took to the sky after her-but she was fast as she flew and soon losing sight of her. He soared high above the city for well over an hour- drinking in the events of the evening and what had just happened; returning to the Tower.

Beast Boy trudged himself into the tower and went straight for her door. He knocked for what felt like an eternity but got no response from the other side. He gently tapped the key pad beside the door, it whirling open in an instant to reveal an empty room. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he left it- heading for the common room. His emerald eyes filled with confusion as he walked into the common room, finding only Cyborg in the room watching something on the tv. The evening had darkened across the city just beyond the bay-the sky glittered with stars. With a loud flop, he threw himself onto the sofa beside Cyborg to join him. The silence rang on for quite some time before Cyborg finally broke it.

"Soooo..." his deep voice rang out in curiosity. Cyborg smiled at the teen beside him as he muted the television, turning his attention to BB. "...how did it go?" he questioned. Beast Boy puffed out a breath of air, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration as he sat up. "Well..." he started. "...I thought it was going great. We seen a movie and had dinner, talked and laughed...then!" he exclaimed in confusion, "We had gone to the park on the West side of town, I was trying to gauge her in conversation and just get to know her a little more. I tried talking to her about her family..." he continued on with a huff, his emerald eyes meeting Cyborg's face. "...then she goes on about thinking she isn't a good date and starts crying..." his head shaking as the words came out. "I tried talking to her and we ended up kissing!" he exclaimed with added happiness, puffing out a breath of air as he sulked back into the couch. "But she convinced herself that she's a bad person and took off, I tried looking for her- but she's nowhere to be seen."

Cyborg let the green man speak- taking in his words and trying to process them. A look of surprise washing over his face and understanding for his friend. "I'm not going to say I told you so..." he started, catching a brief glare from Beast Boy. "...but...I AM going to say- don't push her. She'll come around in her own time." with that he shrugged his shoulders and unmuted the tv. "...so...you kissed her?" Cyborg added with a sheepish grin crossing his face. Beast Boy could only groan audibly as he tossed a pillow at his metal friend. "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, dude..." he retorted, rolling onto his back.

The evening pressed on in silence before Beast Boy finally decided to turn in for the night, but not before checking for her again. But alas- nowhere to be seen or heard from. He sighed heavily as he climbed into his bed for the night and trying to push out all of the confusion and wonder that hung in his brain.


	7. It was HER

Titans Tower

Sunday Morning

The week had come and gone in a blur. Each day consisted of trainings, little briefings, and sleep. Of course, bits of petty crime and non-harden crimes sprinkled into the daily mix- they were heroes after all. Destiny did everything in her might to avoid any type of contact with Beast Boy other than quick glances. It was still early morning this Sunday, the sun just barely peaking over the horizon as she finished primping herself for the day ahead- dressed in uniform and complimenting makeup. She quietly exited her room- making her way to the top of the tower to sit on the roof. She had been doing that quite frequently this week, learning the view from there was unlike any other view in the city. Once at the top of the stairs, she quietly creaked the door open and stepped out into the fresh morning air; breathing in deeply- drinking in the sun's warmth.

The girl yawned audibly as she stretched her arms out high above her head as she walked further out onto the roof. Her attention quickly snapping forward at the shadow catching her gaze. There stood the fearless leader- his cape drifting gently in the wind. Robin slowly turned to see who had joined him this early on the roof, his gaze tightening at the girl. Destiny cast a nervous smile in his direction as she crossed the distance between them, soon standing not far beside him. "Sorry..." she started quietly and he chuckled in response. "Hey, it's a beautiful view..." his voice booming in the quiet morning air. The girl nodded. Her navy eyes drinking in the morning glow. The quiet overtaking the air between the two and enjoying the morning sun rise.

After a few long moments; Robin cleared his throat before speaking, "Hey...uh...thanks for dinner the other day..." his words falling short, looking for the right ones. "...sometimes I let things like...him...get in my head." Destiny took in a sharp breath listening to him speak, Slade haunting her even now in this beautiful morning light. She simply nodded her head in understanding and a small smile breaking across her face. "No problem...you needed your strength." she spoke, their gazes meeting for several long moments. "Breakfast?" Robin asked as he slowly turned and began to walk for the door. The girl smiled to herself looking out over the bay once more before turning on her heel to follow him. "Sure."

The pair walked in silence through the Tower and into the common room, the room still empty of the other heroes-likely still deep in slumber at this hour. The girl quickly making a bee line for the coffee pot, filling it with grind and starting it. Robin busied himself with starting breakfast, pulling an array of ingredients from the fridge and got to work. Silence filling the air between them as they moved in the kitchen, Destiny pouring two fresh cups of coffee and sliding a mug across the counter- his palm instinctively lifting, reaching for it immediately as it slid across to him. "Thanks." he replied sternly, taking a slow sip. The girl smiled in response as she pushed herself up to sit on the counter, her legs dangling- her eyes watching him prepare something for breakfast; embracing the warmth the mug offered her hands. Somehow, a strange connection bonded the two- even if he didn't know what that was right now.

Robin moved quietly about the kitchen for a little while; but still aware of her presence. She breathed out quietly as she finished another sip of her steaming coffee. The pair quickly started to exchange some small talk about the previous week; from battles, to news, and events in the city. He lifted his head briefly to catch her gaze- a wave of emotions rocking her to the core. Destiny merely smiled in response. "So..." he started as he moved to the cooktop- aromas soon filling the room with whatever he was preparing. "...have you always had superpowers?" he asked with curiosity. The girl's brow lifted in response as she sat down her mug and cleared her throat. "No... actually." she spoke with a gloomy look casting over her face. "...to put a long story short...it was an unpleasant accident." For a moment, Robin lifted his head better to turn his attention to the girl sitting on the counter, his chest filling with a sting of sorrow. Her head now hung with sadness and filling the air with an eerie vibe. Robin decided to try his luck and pressed on with his questioning- the detective nature getting the best of him. "...I'm sorry. But you seem to have adapted to them well." he commented, mentally noting how well she worked in the battles previous. Destiny scoffed quietly with a roll of her eyes, taking her mug back in her hands for a swig of coffee. "Well...you know as well as I do Robin...if you don't adapt to your environment...you'll be killed." her words ringing true and failing to cut the tension in the air. Robin breathed in sharply at comment, pondering it. She wasn't wrong that's for sure. With a nod of his head in understanding; he pulled a plate out from a cabinet and turned out what was in the pan- a steaming omelet. He smiled as he lifted his gaze to hers and slid the plate across the counter. Destiny grinned for a moment, retrieving a fork from the drawer behind her legs and dug into the plate he had just slid to her- a quiet giggle escaping her lips as she chewed. "...I'd say you've made this before." a shy way of giving him a compliment. He chuckled with a nod of his head once more as he fried up another. "I have." his chest filling with confidence as he cooked. The pair spent much of the next thirty minutes in casual small talk as they had breakfast, both having moved to the seats at the island. Destiny laughed quietly as she finished her coffee off, her navy eyes locked on his face- drinking in the little bonding moment they were sharing. Robin felt himself smile; he had long turned to sit sideways on his stool- giving her his undivided attention.

After a long pause in conversation, he found himself lost in thought. A moment from earlier in their conversations and even from the day before when she brought him dinner; ringing in his ears. '...you needed your strength...' Robin suddenly felt the air in the room turn hot and the ringing in his ears getting louder- his chest becoming heavy. His masked eyes widening in a partial realization and a breath escaping his lips as he stared at this girl before him. _She was familiar._ He abruptly stood to his feet; "I've got work to do..." his voice filled with tension and determination, the girl's eyes squinted as she reached out for him "What are you-" she started to ask, but he quickly darted out of the room to the left of the common room. It COULDN'T be, he thought to himself as he quickly bounded through the halls of the tower until he made it to the staircase, descending down several floors until he made it to the ground floor- disappearing behind a metal door and scaling the metals stairs into the basement. Robin pushed his hand upwards on the breaker to turn the dusty lights on, his eyes scanning the piles of boxes in the room as he walked- up and down each aisle until he finally located the one, he was looking for. The dusty filing box was clearly marked 'APPRENTICE'. He slowly pulled the box from the stack in front of him; opening it and coughing at the dust that filled his lungs- his eyes quickly scanning over the contents.

Inside the box was pieces of the uniform he wore during the time he spent with Slade over three years ago, police reports, newspaper clippings, various USB drives and a small disc labeled 'SECURITY FOOTAGE'. Robin huffed out quietly as he grabbed onto the disc and putting the box back where it belonged; making his way back up the slew of stairs and practically running through the halls- whirling himself past Cyborg, rounding a corner and bounded into his office- the door locking immediately as he sat down to his computer. After a few minutes of fiddling with the computer and loading the disc in, he opened the files; fishing through hours and hours of some footage they had required from the remains of Slade's old lair after his apprentice ship- it still a dark moment in his heart. But, he knew he'd be willing to do it again if it meant protecting the lives of his friends.

It had taken some time to sift through it, but he finally came across a time period on the disc that piqued his interest. Robin breathed out quietly as he put on a pair of headphones and enlarging the video playback to get a clear view of the grainy footage, turning the volume as high as it could go- pressing play and watched with a baited breath.

_3 ½ years ago-Robin's apprenticeship_

_Slade's Lair_

_Robin grunted at the restraints on his wrists and ankles. He stood alone in the center of the darkened room, just a small light in the far corner just luminous enough to make out his surroundings. "Gah!" he exclaimed in frustration, the chains rattling as he dropped to a knee- sweat dripping from his face. He didn't know how or when, but he was going to find some way to win. Robin slowly lifted his gaze to stare into the darkness- hearing soft chatter in the distance._

"_Daddy...you have to let him go and leave them alone- you know this isn't right!" a young voice said in protest. In the distance beyond the room, a sharp noise could be heard- perhaps a hit? "Mind your business girl..." Slade's voice just barely booming through the air. A brief sound of his strong footsteps fading and a door whipping shut. Time seemed to pass so slow in the dark._

_Robin sighed heavily as he finally gave in and sat down on the cold cement. His eyes closely examining the chains that held their grip on his limbs, limiting his movement and strength. Several long moments seemed to pass before he could hear soft footsteps coming closer to the room he was bound to. He grunted as he pulled at the chains restricting his arms; but to no avail they didn't budge or loosen their tight grip. The footsteps got closer and suddenly stopped somewhere just outside, "Whose there?" Robin's voice called out with agitation._

_A young girl, perhaps about a year or so younger than him- 14 or 13; slowly stepped around the corner into the room. The girl was a small build with long dark hair and even in this lighting had captivating eyes, she wore a tattered pair of jogging pants and a thin gray sweater. "Sorry..." her quiet voice called out as she slowly crossed the distance between them; Robin rattling his chains in response as he pushed himself to his feet. "Shh!" the girl shushed him as she got closer, as she stepped into the light- she was carrying a tray in her hands- filled with a plate of chicken and rice, an electrolyte drink and bottle of water accompanying it. "Do you want us to die?" she asked with irritation in her voice. Robin watched her with curiosity as she stepped closer to him. "I brought you something to eat."_

_The girl gently placed the tray of food on the ground in front of him and opened her palm, revealing a small key and reaching for his hands. Robin immediately jerked back from the girl as far as he could anyway. "Are YOU trying to get us killed?" he asked with irritation in his voice. "Who are you?" he demanded. The girl sighed heavily, glancing over her shoulder nervously and back to him. "I'm trying to help you." she urged. With reluctance, Robin held out his hands and the girl released the chains from around his wrists- a deep sigh escaped his lips immediately reaching to his right wrist to rub the pain away. His gaze catching her navy eyes, trying to understand what was happening. "I brought you something to eat..." she gestured, slowly getting down onto her knees and pushing the tray closer to him. Robin scoffed in response as he lowered himself to sit on the ground once again. "I'm not hungry..." he scoffed as he turned his body from her._

"_I'm Destiny..." her quiet voice spoke, the girl opening the gatorade and water for him. "...I'm sorry he has you here..." Destiny's voice ringing with sincerity. Robin slowly turned his attention back to this girl and he sighed heavily. "I'm Robin...but I guess you know that." Robin breathed in deeply as the tray touched his side._

"_Please eat...we don't have much time before he comes back." her voice quiet. Robin turned his attention back to this strange girl. "How do I know it's not poisoned." he spat with a roll of his eyes. Destiny shifted a little in the spot she sat in. "I'm a prisoner here just as much as you are..." her voice ringing dry. "I'm his daughter." Robin turned his head back to her once again- drinking in the meaning of what she said. He hadn't noticed when she came in, but he could see a bright red mark across her cheek. His heart filling with anger and sorrow. "Did he hit you because of me?" he asked quietly, his gaze turning away again. The girl breathed in sharply and let out a quiet grunt. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you need to eat. We don't have much time..." the girl said in a hushed tone, standing to her feet and crossing the room to flip on a breaker- illuminating the room in a bright light. Robin lifted his arm to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness and groaned quietly. "Couldn't you have warned me..." he said in protest, blinking a few times to adjust to the sudden light._

_He turned his attention to the girl across the room; she was pretty and didn't have any dark aura to her. "Please eat..." she insisted before peeking out into the hall and turning her attention back to him. Robin shook his head as he shoved the tray away. "I'm fine." he insisted. Destiny huffed as she walked back to him, pushing the tray with her foot and a look of irritation on her face. "Please..." she breathed, kneeling down to his level once again. "...you'll need your strength if you're going to get out of here."_

Robin breathed out at the realization, quickly pausing the footage on his screen and removing his headset as he sat back; drinking in the memory and the girl in the footage. It was her. His chest heaved in panic for several long moments as the memory played in his head over and over again, it tightening in response. He didn't know how to respond to his racing mind. But, somehow deep in his chest- he KNEW that this girl wasn't a threat to any of them but he had to figure out why she was here...and soon.


	8. The Truth

Titans Tower

Sunday

After Robin's abrupt dismissal from the kitchen; Destiny found herself alone in the quiet the room offered this early in the morning. She shook her head in slight confusion as the moment passed; rising to her feet and moving into the kitchen to clean up the dishes they had dirtied. The metal doors of the common room whirling open to reveal Cyborg stretching as he walked into the room, his eyes darting to the movement in the kitchen. "Mornin'" he called through a stifled yawn, a few muscles popping as he stepped down from the stairs and into the kitchen. Cyborg breathed in deeply as he fished in the fridge- debating what to eat for breakfast. Destiny nodded in response to him as she finished washing the few dishes, turning the water off and drying her hands. "Morning, Cy." she replied quietly, moving down the kitchen to refill her mug with some coffee and chose to sit back down at the island. Finally, Cyborg turned his attention away from the fridge with an array of ingredients in his arms and throwing them on the counter. "Breakfast will be done soon..." he commented as he started. Destiny laughed quietly with a shake of her head. "I already ate so you shouldn't have to make as much..." her voice still quiet, taking a long sip of coffee as Cyborg lifted his head to catch her gaze. "Oh...!" Cyborg spoke with surprise, his brow furrowing for a moment and breathed in. "I thought I smelled breakfast when I woke up." he said with a brief chuckle booming in the air.

Destiny managed a stifled giggle for him. "Yeah...uh...Robin was awake and made some breakfast, so we talked for a bit-but then he ran out of the room like someone's life depended on it." Cyborg blinked in response as he pondered the thought, mixing up a batter for his signature waffles and noting that the pair had shared breakfast. "He must have had a brain blast." he commented quietly as he worked with the food. She pondered the thought as well as she sipped on her now lukewarm coffee and sighed heavily. "Is it okay...if I ask you for advice?" the girl asked, gently placing her mug on the counter and lifting her gaze to stare at the robotic man before her. Cyborg breathed out heavily and cleared his throat. "Sure..., I'm an open book most of the time." he said with a smile on his lips. Destiny smiled back in response with a nod of her head. A long pause followed before she continued with her thoughts. "Well...I'm assuming Beast Boy has mentioned how our date went..." she continued quietly and cautiously, a heavy sigh escaping her lips- her gaze filled with sadness. Cyborg listened quietly as he prepared his waffles. "...I...its not that I'm not interested. He's...a great guy. But...I..." her voice trailing off as she remained deep in thought for several long moments, her voice shaking with an uneasy feeling. "I...just don't...want to hurt him." she finally spat it out.

Cyborg finally turned his attention away from the stove to step up to the counter and placed his hands firmly down, his gaze holding hers with a friendly but very underlining stern. "Then don't." he stated simply. "BB is a gentle soul. He's been through a lot like the rest of us, wears his heart on his sleeve..." he commented with a scoff in his voice. Destiny breathed in slowly as she listened to him speak and nodded her head. "...if you're asking me how to tell him, just be honest. It goes a long way in this place." his voice ringing in her ears. "Thanks..." she replied quietly, finishing off her coffee and rising to put her mug in the sink and filing out of the room to be alone.

Sunday Evening

The day had come and gone in a blur. The Titan's spending much of their day partaking in their normal activities. Robin ran a hand over his face as he finally came to on his realization, slowly leaning up in his chair and stood to his feet. He needed time to think it over; he knew it would be vital information in the coming days but for now- he had the urge to beat something. He quickly bounded through the stark gray halls and into his bedroom, deciding to shed his uniform for a pair of gray sweat pants and a white t-shirt- leaving his signature combat boots on. Within minutes he found himself just outside of the gym, the doors whirling open; revealing he wasn't the only one that needed some gym time.

The girl that haunted his memory there in the far corner of the gym once again, dressed in a black pair of the shortest shorts he had ever seen and a tight-fitting navy colored sports bra, her hair in a messy ponytail. Destiny grunted, swinging and kicking her thoughts away at that body bag hanging from the ceiling. She breathed in deeply as she heard the doors whirl open, catching a glimpse of Robin in the corner of her eyes- laying a rounded kick off into the bag once again before stumbling backwards a bit; her gaze meeting his as she picked up a towel and patted her sweating face. Robin cleared his throat as he walked into the room, "Sorry...didn't mean to intrude." She shrugged with a smile, grabbing a water from where her phone laid and took a long gulp before catching her breath to speak. "It's okay...I needed to chill out anyway."

Robin noticed the redness in her fists, judging by her demeanor she had been at it for a while. "Mind if I...?" he asked, gesturing to the bag. The girl laughed with a shake of her head. "It's all yours..." she dabbed her face as she walked to the door, exiting quickly and making a beeline for her bedroom. Destiny stepped around the final corner for the corridor to go to her room, coming face to face with Beast Boy's chest as she stepped and the pair gently bumping into one another. "Oof..." the girl grunted, her gaze quickly lifting to see him in front of her as she stepped away from him. Beast Boy's eyes lighting up in surprise and a bit of relief that he had finally caught her away from everyone else in the tower. The air between them thick with confusion.

Destiny sighed heavily as her navy eyes left his emerald gaze. "I'm...sorry." she said quietly, letting her hair loose from its ponytail; it cascading messily down over her shoulders. Beast Boy breathed in heavily; his senses filled with her familiar scent of vanilla and musk from sweat, shrugging his shoulders with a small smile on his face. The silence between them growing and filled with despair for the unknown. She finally spoke first as she made a move to step around him. "Roof in 10?" she asked quietly. His ears wiggling at the mention, his heart leaping and tumbling at the thoughts racing in his brain. "Sure." he said, meeting her gaze as she stepped around him and disappearing into her room.

Destiny breathed out heavily in frustration as the door whirled closed behind her, catching her body as she leaned back. Her mind racing with what needed to be said to him. "Pfft..." she grumbled to herself as she stripped out of her gym clothes and disappearing into her bathroom- treating herself to a quick cold shower to relax her burning muscles. Just as she stepped out of the shower- the tower lit up in a familiar red glow and the crime alert blaring. The girl groaned loudly with a roll of her eyes; her body immediately bursting into that beautiful red flame- as it dispersed around her, she was suddenly fully dressed in her signature uniform and neatly done makeup with that red lip. Her eyes filled with irritation, quickly taking to a flight and zooming through the tower to meet with the Titan's rushing from the common room. "Slade..." the word rolling off Robin's mouth as he bounded from a corner dressed in full uniform, his face full of anger. "Titan's GO!" his voice full of determination, the team bounding from the tower-ready for whatever came next.

The Sunday evening wind was thick and sticky from the humidity- the clouds threatening to unleash a torrent of storms. The Titans were arriving to the cities center, civilians running in all directions away from the on slot of Slade bot's funneling into the city from a massive crater in the center just a block away from the beloved pizza joint. Destiny could hear her own heartbeat ringing in her ears with anxiety of the battle coming for them. Her navy eyes catching sight of a young couple screaming just beyond the line of bots; a bot walking in a stern line as they stumbled to get away- the bot lashing out to grab hold of the pair. She gritted her teeth as she bolted beyond the team in a blur; the rest of the Titan's following suit and deciding not to wait on Robin's signature battle cry, moving to aid civilians and work on the line of bots spilling into the streets. Her navy eyes quickly glazing over in that familiar red flame, swooping down in a blink of an eye to twist the bot's head off of its shoulder and freeing the couple from its grasp. "Get away from here, quickly..." her voice commanded with a vibrating power, her luscious dark hair whipping past her face with drama. The couple quickly scrambling away from the scene, she turned on her heel and went head on into the bots. The girl moved seemingly well through them, her hands glowing that same red; sometimes blasting them with rounds of energy from her palms, ripping them apart with her bare hands, or stomping their metal into a billion pieces- on a war path. The fight with the bots dragging on for what felt like forever, the sky a rich dark color waiting to unleash its hold on the storms; still no end in sight to the bots piling into the streets- the Titans evenly split amongst them.

"Ahh!" Destiny screamed out in agony just as a laser connected with her right shoulder, she slowly fell to a knee from the rush of pain filling her senses; a couple tears tickling at the brim of her eyes. She puffed out heavily and quickly soared above the on slot of bots to assess the situation. "We need to figure out why they keep coming and where from..." Robin's voice boomed in frustration and exhaustion somewhere beyond the sea of bots. The girl breathed in an uneasy breath as she turned; flying a few blocks above the marching army to better assess the hole in the ground. It was level at an angle, the bots still coming from the depths of the city's sewers. Her hand reaching to the communicator in her belt and lifting it to her lips. "They're coming from the sewers. There's got to be thousands of them..." her voice trailing off at the mounting task ahead of them.

The fight trudged on for hours. Luckily, the had started to contain and narrow it down just to the ones emerging from the hole in the ground. But they were getting tired. A few drops of raining beginning to fill the air; making the job that much more difficult- a sudden blast erupting from the ground once more like it had earlier that evening at the beginning of this quarrel. The Titans faltered a little as they were pushed together; a dark figure in the center of the blast. Slade. Though, he was much the same as before but his suit featured some new upgrades and two swords sheathed on his back- guns on his hips. Robin snarled at the sight of his foe. "Slade..." he spat; his voice filled with rage. The girl sucked in a breath staring at him from a far, her chest feeling heavy and her muscles screaming with exhaustion. "I see you guys haven't changed..." Slade's deep voice echoing with a stern meaning.

Slade slowly started to cross the ground between him and the Titans, the wind whipping. "You have something that belongs to me..." he scoffed as he reached onto his back to retrieve his swords and twirling them in his hands. "I'd like it back."

Robin snorted as he broke off into a dash to finish closing the space between them, merging two birdarangs together in his palms until a sharp blade extended out into a sword to fight on an even playing field. The Titans charging back into a heated battle around the two foes battling in hand to hand combat, working through the bots to get closer and help him if needed. Some of the Titans brains buzzing with confusion.

Robin and Slade were toe to toe in hand combat and their swords, Robin getting lucky enough to knock away one of Slade's blades. The clank of metal clashing as he knocked it away, the blade fluttering across the thick air. Destiny's ear hearing the clank of a sword. She quickly swiveled her leg in a round-house kick across several bots faces before springing backwards and catching the sword in her hand- it expertly fluttering around her hand as she caught herself, her hair falling across her face- her gaze filled with irritation watching the combat between Robin and Slade. Slade merely chuckled as he forcefully pushed back at Robin, from the exhaustion- he suddenly stumbled backwards, leaving an opening for a strike from Slade. Destiny took it as an opportunity to intervene in their quarrel, bouncing off of her heels and springing forward. "Gahhh...!" she grunted, getting between him and Robin in a quick motion- blocking his swing of the sword with the one she had caught. Loud metal clanging and ringing in their ears. "Back off..." she snarled, forcing her strength into pushing Slade back.

Slade's feet briefly sliding across the cement beneath his feet, his head tilting in amusement. "Dear...please." his voice filled with rage. Slade and the girl immediately went hand to hand in battle, Robin springing back to his feet at the near miss of a blade in his chest to join her- soon the pair worked in intervals with the hand to hand combat. The time wearing on Slade's patience; finally getting a hit in edge wise- slamming them both in different directions. The other Titans soon falling to a knee at the hands of the bots, now being held captive in a line just beyond the line from Slade. Robin grunted as he slid across the pavement before being scooped up and restrained by the bots that stood idle.

Destiny moved to scramble to her feet- but Slade was at her in an instant, scooping her up in his right palm by the neck and squeezed. Her body immediately illuminating with an array of electricity omitting from her body, coming from somewhere in Slade's suit. The girl groaned in agony as she squirmed in his grasp. "Titans..." his voice boomed as he turned to present the girl in his hand, walking a bit closer to make sure he could see their faces. "Get away from her!" Beast Boy's voice snarled as he jerked at the power restraints and bots holding him in his place like the others. Slade's sinister chuckle filling the newfound quiet of the city streets. "Don't...!" the girl's voice choked as she clawed at Slade's hand, her legs kicking but he held a firm grip- her body ringing with pain. "Please boy..." Slade mused. "...you must know by now..." Silence filled the air quickly as Slade drank in the puzzling faces of the Titans, Robin keeping a stern look on his face- searching for an opportunity to get out of this.

Slade grinned to himself, slamming the girl in his grasp to the ground. She gasped for air as she collapsed onto the wet cement, her body screaming from the forceful jolt of electricity in her veins. "Titans..." Slade started, swinging his leg in a swift motion and kicking the girl directly in the ribs. Beast Boy and Robin both heaved in their restraints, looking for a chance to break free. The girl screamed in agony at the sudden kick, only to be scooped up once again and shook like a ragdoll by her neck. "This girl..." he spoke with pride, shaking her body in display for them. "It's funny...how history has a way of repeating itself..." he chuckled as he slowly started walking back and forth, letting go of the girl once again and picking her up by her long hair. She groaned at the sudden new pain, her hands lifting to his above her head to try and relieve the pressure.

"What are you going on about!" Beast Boy whined with a roll of his eyes. "She doesn't even know who you are man..." Slade chuckled deeply with a shake of his head. "You must be blindly in love again...like with Terra." her name ringing in the air, stinging Beast Boy deep within his chest. "Please..." the girl's voice choked out. "...leave them alone..." she breathed as she squirmed, Slade unleashing another voltage of electricity, the power visible on her body. "Too late..." Slade smirked beneath his mask, his bots soon unleashing the same voltage of electricity power on the Titans; each of their faces withering in pain and fighting to get out of their restraints- soon the voltage subsiding, their heads swimming in agony; Slade continued.

"Like I was saying..." he spat as he threw the girl to the ground once more, proudly placing his hands over his hips. "...history repeats itself..." Cyborg scoffed this time. "Man, what the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. Slade grinned to himself as he stepped up to the robotic man, the pair exchanging a long, dark stare. "This girl..." Slade gestured to her as he slowly stepped back to drink in their faces. "...is my daughter."

The girl had finally mustered up the energy to stand to her feet- ready to pounce. But it was too late. The truth ringing in the air. Immediately she could feel the betrayal and rage in the air omitting from the Titans. "No..." she breathed quietly, suddenly her body bursting into a fit of energy- that deep red flame in her eyes and palms. The next five minutes went over as a blur, the girl surged with an overload of power- plowing through all of the bots left and quarreling with Slade once again. "You are nothing to me!" her voice ringing out as the clouds let go of their weight, the rain getting heavier as the moments passed. Slade was mostly two steps ahead of her hand to hand combat, but she kept fighting. "I just wanted to be a hero!" she screamed.

Their quarrel soon ended as he found himself overpowered- but knew his message had been received. "We'll meet again...daughter." he mused, suddenly disappearing in a whirl of smoke. Destiny coughed through the smoke; her eyes filled with rage. She breathed in slowly as she turned to the team, their eyes filled with anguish and confusion.

Destiny stuttered as she slowly stepped forward, her eyes filled with sorrow as she reached out. "Please...lemme-…" she began, suddenly cut off as Beast Boy stepped up and broke out into a rage. "You're his DAUGHTER?" he screamed, his body omitting every feeling- his chest hot and eyes filled with rage. "Where you gonna tell us? Tell me!?" he spat as he puffed out his chest. Destiny moved to speak, reaching her hand for him but he jerked away from her. "...was it even real?" Beast Boy asked in a serious tone before scoffing, rolling on his heel.

"Please...I've wanted to tell you...all of you so bad..." she cried; her eyes brimmed with tears as the rain poured on the aftermath before them from the battle. "...but I couldn't...you have to understand...I.." her chest heaving. "Please...I-…" her words falling on death's ears. Beast Boy shook his head as he turned back to face her. "I trusted you...I might have even..." his voice trailing off again, shaking his head before morphing into a falcon and soaring into the sky. Destiny shook her head in shame for a long moment; the other four Titans eyes on her filled with sorrow and confusion. "Please...I'm so sorry I didn't tell you..." she stated again. Starfire shared glances with her friends as she stepped forward, her own emerald eyes filled with tears and her body tattered with wounds from the evening. "...if you had just told us..." her voice quiet and turning back to her friends, each leaving. The girl felt the weight of the world in her chest as she slowly slid to her knees, covering her face to hide the tears. Robin was the last one to stand in the middle of the chaos; crossing the ground between them but still stood a few feet from her. "...let's get out of the rain." his voice quiet, "..._you'll need your strength_."

The girl's head jerked up quickly at the statement, Robin already gone. Destiny breathed in awkwardly as the rain pelted her there on her knees._ Did he remember?_ She slowly stood to her tired legs and worked for a few hours into the night to clean up some of the aftermath of the battle- returning to the tower in the middle of the night, surprised she could even get in.

Her secret was out now. They knew. She sighed heavily as she peeled off her dirty clothes and climbed into bed immediately, hiding her face in her pillow- filled with sorrow...she wept. Her heart filled to the brim with the emotions. If only she had told them the truth from the beginning.


	9. Loose Ends

Titans Tower

Friday Afternoon

It had been nearly a week since they had discovered the new girl's secret. The vibe in the tower filled with confusion and betrayal. Destiny spent much of her week in the shadows- avoiding any sort of contact with her newfound friends and letting them process the information in their own way. Although, the sudden silence in her head shook her to the core. She had spent much of the past few days in deep thought- spending time in the city alone, working out, or sulking in her room with a guitar in hand- sometimes strumming a light tune to pass the time.

But, she had enough of the pressure building on the unknown ahead and having no one to speak too. Destiny breathed in deeply as she exited her room this afternoon, dressed in her usual attire and makeup. She was going to start with Starfire first, she just hoped the princess would be willing to listen to what she had to say- even if she wasn't sure what the right words were yet. Destiny trudged her way through the suddenly cold corridors, the hairs on her arms standing on end and a heavy weight settling into her chest as she stepped in front of Starfire's door. This was usually the time of the day that the Princess enjoyed painting her toenails- so she hoped the girl would beyond the door. "Here goes..." the girl quietly mused to herself.

Destiny knocked firmly on the door before her; hearing Starfire's cheery voice calling in the distance that she would be a minute; light noises filling the quiet as she shuffled her way to the door and the door whirling open to reveal whom was on the other side. Starfire's emerald eyes were filled with joy but quickly deflating with light as she realized who it was. "Sorry...I am the-" her voice speaking quietly, her door slowly closing. The girl quickly raised her hand to the door to prevent it from closing any further, her navy eyes pleading. "Wait!" she exclaimed. Starfire shook her head attempting to close the door. "Please I am busy, I do not wish to have-" the alien's voice pleading with the girl, trying to avoid any sort of eye contact.

"Please..." the girl's voice interrupted again. "Please...just let me explain. You don't have to talk or even respond..." she spoke with a desperation in her voice, her eyes filled with a deep sorrow. "...but I can't take the silence anymore." the words falling into a whisper. Starfire sucked in a sharp breath as she caught the girl's gaze, a quiet noise escaping her lips in defeat and opened the door- stepping aside. "...Okay...please...come in..." Starfire's voice suddenly full of sadness, her emerald eyes immediately falling to her freshly painted toes.

Destiny felt a rush of relief fill in her chest and slowly entered the room, taking in the familiar pinkness. The girls sat down on the bed together- a long pause of silence ringing in the atmosphere around them. Starfire nestled into her spot on the bed, lifting her feet up and moving to grab onto the nail polish. The girl cleared her throat and gestured to the nail polish; with reluctance- Starfire left the girl take the nail polish and paint her toes.

"I know sorry isn't going to heal what I've hid..." Destiny started on her apology slow, her words careful and meaningful. "But I didn't hide it to make anyone here hurt. I never even expected to cross paths with any of you... let alone to be here...to have a chance to be a hero." Starfire breathed in quietly and listened to the girl talk, her gaze never leaving her or adding to the conversation. "...I didn't tell you because...who would want me?" the girl's voice filled with emotion, her eyes glazing over with tears and sniffling through them as she painted Starfire's nails. "...So... I made the decision to not say anything...and let my character speak for itself before I told anyone."

The girl continued in a conversation by herself for well over thirty minutes as she finished Starfire's pedicure, the Princess never uttering a word. Destiny shared bits and pieces of her story with the girl before her, never quite landing on the familiarity she had with the fearless leader and never mentioning her intentions with the green man. But her apology and words were laced with sorrow and sadness filled the air. Starfire's own gaze laced with sadness as she watched the girl before her unload so much of herself- trusting her. Destiny soon broke into quiet sobs in her palms, the Princess scooting across the bed and enveloping the girl in a warm brace. The girl breathed in a ragged breath as she threw her arms around Starfire, hiding her face against her shoulder and sobbed. "I'm sorry..." she choked, slowly pulling herself out of the alien's arms and made a move to stand.

Starfire reached her golden hand out and gently grabbed onto the girl's wrist. "Please..." her sweet voice filling the girl's ears. "...I forgive you...I am sorry for all you have been through. Though, I do understand why you chose not to tell us...but...it is... hard to process."

Destiny merely nodded at her words, their glances catching and even exchanging a smile. "I understand..." the girl's voice mustered, wiping her tears from her cheeks. "I'll give you some space."

The girl exited Starfire's room with a heavy breath escaping her as she made her way back to her bedroom. Her brain processing the accomplishment of having someone to talk to once again. Still, the back of her mind burning with the possibility that the leader remembered her. It was time to find out if he did.

With a quick stop in her bedroom to compose herself and primp her tear-stricken face; she set out with a new mission in mind. Her combat boots leaving quiet footsteps in her path; walking slow to avoid anyone she wasn't ready to have a conversation with and finding herself just outside of Robin's office- figuring he'd be nose deep in some sort of paperwork. The girl cleared her throat as she lifted her hand to the door and firmly knocking a few times- a rustle of papers and a chair moving heard beyond the door before it slid open to reveal the leader. His face filled with a sudden surprise and breathed out. "I'm working..." he started quietly. "We need to talk." Destiny spoke with a determination as she raised her hand to silence his protests.

Robin's chest deflated staring her in the eyes before deciding to step aside and allowing her to enter. Destiny cautiously walked forward into the darkened room, noting the endless newspaper clippings scattered on the walls, endless filing cabinets, a computer and messy desk in the center of the room and a couch near the door. "What do you want to talk about?" Robin's voice asked, cutting through the rush of thoughts in her head. "Did you know?" she asked simply as he stepped back into the room, the door automatically closing.

He grunted as he passed her and moved to sit in his chair at the desk, swiveling to face her. She followed and gently sat against his desk- their gazes meeting. "I figured it out." Robin said with irritation in his voice. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked. Destiny shook her head for a moment, her gaze falling to her combat boots to avoid his stare- searching for what he wanted to hear. "It's not something to be screaming from roof tops." her voice filled with irritation, lifting her gaze to meet his. His face was suddenly filled with sorrow and his gaze softening. "If it wasn't for you..." he started quietly, clearing his throat and rubbing his hand over his face in frustration. "I might not even be here." he admitted.

Destiny's breath caught in her throat as she stared at him and drinking in the admission from him. Silence filling the air and words left unspoken for quite some time as they both searched on what they should say. Robin finally decided to break the silence. "Thank you." he said simply. The girl smiled for a moment and nodded her head. "I couldn't let him win and you needed help. I told you what you needed to hear and made sure he didn't kill you." her voice firm. Robin breathed in slowly, before standing to his feet. "But you didn't know me." he interjected. The girl scoffed with a roll of her eyes, a smile remaining on her face. "You didn't know me either, but yet you trusted me then like you did when I met you a few months ago." her comment ringing in his ears.

Robin nodded his head. "I suppose you're right. I'm sorry we didn't try to save you that day. I looked for you in the rubble for hours, but you were nowhere to be seen." he commented. Destiny shifted from where she leaned against his desk, the memories vivid in the back of her mind. "Slade had me long gone before then...he figured out I was helping you. Spent three months in a padded room as a science experiment." the girl shrugged her shoulders and shook her head to erase the moment from her head. "I'm glad you and the others weren't hurt. I know he's good at that." she grunted again at the thought of him. Destiny sighed heavily as she stood, running a hand through her dark locks. "Hey..." she spoke, "...is it okay...if we don't tell the others?"

Robin listened to the girl's words, listening to her request and processed it. He finally smiled, placing his hand against her shoulder. "You have my word." The pair exchanged a long glance, his hand finally moving from her shoulder- each blushing at the realization they had stared too long. "Thanks." the girl smiled once again, her eyes falling to observe the paperwork on his desk. Her brow furrowed at a particular piece, her hand outstretching as he moved to his desk-scrambling to cover his work; she was faster. Destiny quickly grabbed onto a piece of paper, her navy eyes scanning it well. "Researching where his lair could be?" she asked, realizing the paper contained details of a potential lair of Slade. Robin scoffed, quickly snatching the paper from her hands. "Yeah..." he quickly shuffled the papers together and closed the folder on his desk.

The girl lifted her gaze to him with a shake of her head. "That's not where his lair is. That's just an old storage facility." her comment ringing in his ears, the weight of knowledge she had hitting him deep. "How can you-" he began to ask before she giggled at him, moving to sit on his desk. "Just because I'm his hero daughter... doesn't mean I don't know my way around a security system. He's not very good at fail safes from the inside." Robin's brow raised for a moment, slowly moving to sit in his chair. "So, if he stores stuff there- what is it?" he asked.

Destiny smiled at the man before her, he had aged well like she had. She lifted her hands and gestured to his computer, he nodded. The girl stood to her feet and moved around his desk to lean over his shoulders; her slender fingers quickly tapping at the keyboard in front of them. Robin breathed in nervously at the sudden closeness between them, a brief scent of vanilla lingering from her and he had a good angle to observe how strong her physic really was. After a few moments of working on his computer; finally finding what she was looking for as she stood up straight- the screen omitted various pictures and files. Robin slowly leaned up to get a better look of the files, the girl speaking as he reviewed some of her information. "This particular warehouse stores Xenothium he acquired from Professor Chang before he skipped town a few months ago and some of his robotic pieces for his armies-most of the technology is outdated though but enough to have an army up in running in a couple of days. It's been pretty dormant for the past year, though. He has a newer facility just outside of the city near the mines. That's probably where most of those bots came from last week." she shrugged for a moment, clicking the keyboard to flip to a different piece of information for him. "But...I found this rather recently. I always knew he had some network through the city, but it took a while to get ahold of this." the image filling the screen, a blueprint of some sort of tunnels. Robin drank in the newfound information as he exchanged a glance with the girl beside him. "He has a tunnel system beneath the city." he commented. Destiny nodded her head as she cleared her throat, turning to lean against his desk again. "But how would that have gone unnoticed in all of these years?" he asked aloud.

"Because it's about ten feet below the subway system-which is already a good...20 feet below the surface. The city has no reason to go digging down that far; most water, sewages, or fiber optics are only 6-10 feet down and we haven't had any major seismic activity for the feds to go fishing around." Destiny commented to answer his question. "And it's so far below the surface that most UAV's wouldn't be able to pick up on any type of movement or heat signatures. And if it did...it could easily be mistaken for someone in the sewer or the subway system, which is common for workers or an occasional homeless person to end up in either." she revealed, crossing her arms over her chest. The silence returned between them again for a few long moments as Robin drank in the information she had. "...would you..." he began to ask; the girl already smiling at him and nodded her head. "Help you?" she asked. Robin's chest suddenly filling with pride as he nodded his head. "You have vital information and access...if you're comfortable with that." he commented.

Destiny mulled it over in her head and shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not hiding anything. I'll help with what I can." her voice firm, with a smile on her face. "We'll start tomorrow morning...I still need to make my rounds..." she shrugged sheepishly.

The rest of the evening, the girl spent her time trying to apologize to the other Titan's. Though, angry, Raven and Destiny were able to come to some sort of understanding. Raven understand the evil father deal more than anyone in the Tower. Destiny moved on soon after, finding Cyborg in the garage. She quietly walked into the open room, the robotic man underneath his beloved car- unaware of who entered into the garage. "Hey B!" Cyborg's voice boomed from somewhere underneath the car, a bunch of metal on metal clanking happening. "Hand me the blow torch, I can't get this sucker off of the radiator." The girl listened to his request, her face briefly scrunching- realizing whatever he was doing didn't require that type of tool. Destiny rummaged through the array of tools on the work table, deciding on a different sized ratchet- dropping it through the cracks of parts under the hood from above where he laid under the car. A sharp noise escaping Cyborg as it clanked him in the face, immediately rolling out from underneath the car with a look of annoyance. "Yo man, that hurt...I didn't ask for a...-" his voice falling short as he took note of the girl in his presence. He scoffed as he pushed himself to his feet and moving to the table to reach for what he asked for. "The ratchet should work better than a blowtorch. If you're working with the radiator, we don't want you lighting the car up like a firework." her voice quiet.

Cyborg gave her a warning look with a glance as he rustled through the mess. Destiny cleared her throat as she stepped closer to the table and lifting the blowtorch in her hand in an instant, presenting it to him. "I'm sorry." she said clearly, her navy eyes observing the tall man. He breathed out heavily and took the blow torch from her, turning back to get back underneath the T car and laying on his rolling board. "I don't expect you to understand..." she continued carefully. "...but I need you to know I'm not here to be a problem." a quiet snort came from under the T car as worked. "You have a funny way of not wanting to be a problem..." he mumbled to himself. Destiny huffed with annoyance as she stepped forward, reaching down to grab him by the ankles just as he turned on the blowtorch, a wave of flame erupting underneath the T car as she pulled him violently from underneath it. "Told ya..." she said as they came face to face when she pulled him out, her free hand reaching into the air- the brief flames smoldering in the air and dissipating in thin air as she absorbed the energy. Cyborg shook his head in surprise at the events taking place in a quick motion and pushed himself to his feet, rolling his eyes. It broke the ice between them and they spent much of the late afternoon chatting as they worked on the t-car and coming to a mutual understanding again somewhere along the way. With those reconciling's out of the way, that left just one more person, Beast Boy.

Time today seemed to pass well. The evening already had long darkened, the sun somewhere below the horizon and the moon taking its place. Beast Boy sat in his favorite spot along the shore of their island, a light breeze in the cooling summer air. His emerald eyes lost in thought and occasionally chucking some rocks across the water. The past few days had been pretty hard to drink in. He didn't know how he should feel following the previous events, but he knew he felt it heavy in his chest and it clung to him like a sloth to a tree.

Destiny quietly exited the ground floor of the tower; still dressed in her uniform and combat boots. So far, the day had proven to be an emotional roller coaster and she knew it wasn't going to stop until she finally faced the one person she had avoided with a vengeance in the past few days. Her navy eyes adjusting to the darkness well, watching Beast Boy from afar- searching her mind for the right words. The evening breeze picking her hair up with it, gently fluttering it.

Beast Boy breathed in deeply, catching a familiar scent of vanilla in the air. He rolled his eyes, his ear twitching to listen for where she could be. Destiny moved slowly across the rocky terrain, stopping just a few feet behind him when she heard him scoff. "Leave me alone." he spoke, irritation in his voice. "I don't have anything to say to you."

The girl caught her breath, her mind racing for some sort of response. "I know..." she said quietly, taking a few steps closer and moving to sit about an arm's length away beside him along the water. Her navy eyes never looking in his direction, staring forwards. "...but I have a few things to say." her voice clearing, moving to bring her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Beast Boy rolled his eyes as she sat down beside him; turning his body slightly to try and ignore her presence.

"I didn't tell you because it would've changed how you seen me." she said simply. "I never even imagined meeting the Titan's let alone becoming one..." Destiny continued, hearing no objections from him. "I know it was something dangerous to leave out of the conversation. But it was never for an ill reason." her voice ringing with sadness and firm to some sort of truth. "Then, I made friends with all of you. All of you were so open and willing to trust someone and you didn't even know who I was. But now you do..." Destiny breathed out slowly as she turned her gaze to stare at his back for a moment or so, the silence filling the air. "But that doesn't change who I've been."

Beast Boy breathed in quietly listening to her ramble on, his emerald eyes caught in a dead stare into the city- waiting for her soapbox performance to be over, his heartbeat ringing in his ears. "I'm...sorry..." she continued quietly, a few tears filling her eyes. "I never expected to even meet any of you." she continued, sniffling. "You are such a great person. It was never my intention to...hurt you. But I..." she stopped talking for a few moments, clearing her throat as a few tears managed to sneak their way down her cheeks; filling his senses with salt in the breeze. "...I like you." she breathed heavily, her chest heaving from the lack of air through the tears and conversation. "...but it wouldn't be right for us to be anything more than what we are. I can't promise he wouldn't come between us and I don't want to add fuel to his fire to hurt any of you."

Beast Boy shook his head to himself listening to her talk. Yet again, he thought to himself. It was always something involving Slade and it ate him alive. He had spent years repairing the damage to his heart caused by Terra's betrayal and Slade's meddling. History had a sick way of repeating itself when you didn't learn from it the first time. The silence clear between them. Destiny coughed quietly and sobbed into her palms for a few minutes, the silence between them ringing in her ears. "...I'm sorry..." she cried. "...maybe I am like him after all..." the girl sobbed into her palms, breathing heavily through the tears. His heart still pounding in his ears. As angry as he was and how hurt he felt, he didn't want her to cry. His ear twitching at the admission of similarity and a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "...I'm sorry..." she choked out again between the sobs. "...but...I understand if you...-" her words falling short; BB catching the meaning of her words as he slowly turned to face her. The sight before him, rattling him. The poor girl really was crying heavily, her eyes puff and cheeks wet from the tears. Beast Boy grunted to himself as he scooted closer and wrapped his arms around the girl. Her breath catching in her throat at the sudden movement, but happily diving into his arms and burying her face into his shoulder; his hand moving to her head and the small of her back, holding her tight against his chest to let her cry.

They sat in silence for quite some time; her pity party slowly coming to an end. Beast Boy rubbed her back softly, briefly placing a kiss on top of her head. "Don't cry...I'm here..." he started, moving her away from him enough to catch sight of her face, her navy eyes immediately meeting his emerald gaze. He gave her a small smile, moving a hand to her face to wipe away some of her tears. "You're nothing like him." The pair sat together for a while, no words spoken and stared into each other's eyes. "...I like you too..." his voice ending the silence, a brief toothy grin flashing on his face. She sniffled with a roll of her eyes, coughing out a giggle. "Is that all you got out of that?" she asked with a shake of her head. He chuckled at her reaction, shrugging his shoulders- the pair putting a little more space between them, he leaned back on his elbows to stare out at the bay once again. "...I'm not afraid of him." he spoke. "...but I'm willing to be whatever you want me to be." he said, his gaze turning back to her. Destiny breathed in slowly with a nod of her head, moving her hand to his and grasping it for a few long seconds and letting go. "Well..." she replied quietly, pushing some hair behind her ear. "...right now,...I just need you to be my best friend."

"Did I just get friend-zoned?" he asked aloud. The pair exchanged a glance and both broke into a chuckle of understanding. "I'll be your best friend." he mused, "On one condition though..." he grinned. Destiny smiled in his direction, lifting a brow for his response. "You have to promise to not keep those kinds of secrets." she rolled her eyes with a shrug. "I don't think any secrets top that."


	10. West and Palm

Titans Tower

Early Saturday Morning

Robin breathed in the fresh morning air surrounding him. He stood on the roof; his hands proudly planted on his hips and observing the city in the distance. The sun just beginning to break across the horizon and filling the dull sky with its golden rays. The previous evening, he spent filing all the information he had on Slade, preparing it for when he and the girl would sit down and discuss what she knew. Today was going to be the start of that process. He let out a slow breath as he turned on his heel, heading back into the tower to get himself some coffee for the start of the day.

Destiny started her morning pretty much the same as she had in the past week. After a hot shower, she primped for the day and dressed in her normal attire. Her heart feeling less heavy after tying up some loose ends and moving forward with her secret being out. She quietly made her way through the corridors of the tower and into the common room- catching brief sight at the horizon just beyond the bay and the rising sun. It was always a breath-taking moment. The girl made her way into the kitchen, starting a fresh pot of coffee and turning to the fridge- her eyes scanning its contents and realizing there wasn't much to be had for breakfast. With a quiet sigh, she closed the fridge and decided to start working on some of the dirty dishes as she waited for some coffee.

Soon, the aromas of fresh coffee filling her senses. Robin made his way into the room from the side door on the far left- the coffee scent hitting him in the face. "Morning..." he said as he crossed the room. Destiny's body shook a bit in surprise as she finished with the dishes, turning to face him as she dried her hands on a towel. "Good morning...sleep well?" she asked, tossing the towel down and retrieving two mugs from a cabinet and pouring them full of fresh coffee. Robin watched her move through the kitchen, it was strange to him how natural it felt to have her apart of their team now. He cleared his throat as he made a move to sit at the island and resting his elbows on the counter. "Yeah...as good as I ever do." he shrugged. Destiny picked the two mugs up in her hands and sat one down in front of him, moving to sit beside him at the counter. "Thanks..." he said, grasping onto the handle and taking a drink-turning slightly in his chair to face her, catching her nod. "You'd probably sleep better if you didn't spend your nights on that lumpy sofa in your office." she commented with a faint grin, Robin chuckled quietly and rolled his eyes at her.

"I would've had some breakfast made...but it seems no one thought to buy groceries this week." she mused, taking a slow sip of her coffee- embracing the warmth it offered her. Robin nodded his head, then sat his mug back on the counter; mulling over his brain. "Do you like pastries'?" Robin asked with curiosity, a place in the city filling his memory. Destiny shrugged her shoulders, raising a brow at him. "I mean...I wouldn't say no to a good donut right now." she giggled quietly, sitting her mug down on the counter. A brief grin whipped across his face and his chest pounding with excitement, bouncing to his feet from where he sat and extended his hand out to her. "I know a place in the city..." he offered.

Destiny turned her gaze up to his face, a smile breaking across her pale skin- her navy eyes glancing to his gesture. After a brief moment of contemplation, she reached her hand out and took his, standing to her feet as he gently pulled on her hand- their hands quickly letting go after. "That sounds great." she mused. The pair left the common room in silence, descending through the tower and into the garage, Robin making a move for his bike. She quietly cleared her throat; running a hand through her dark hair. "Shall I just follow?" she asked shyly. Robin shrugged his shoulders as he pulled the tarp off of his bike, grabbing his helmet and pulling it over his signature hairstyle. "If you want...you can just ride?" he asked, stepping over his bike to sit- the bike immediately roaring to life. She felt her face flush for a moment, her heart suddenly beating in her ears-seemingly louder than his motorcycle. "I...uh..." she stuttered on her words and he chuckled. "Come on...I won't bite." Robin teased with a smile on his face, patting the seat. Destiny slowly approached his bike, throwing her leg over the back to sit- a partial grin replacing his smile.

"Hang on..." he breathed, the garage door to the underground tunnel into the city opening and the lights slowly flickering on. Robin revved the engine before blasting into the tunnel at a quick speed; his cape neatly tucked under him and the girl's hair whipping in the sudden rush of air; moving a hand to tuck it against her shoulder and reluctantly wrapping her arms around his chest even if her balance was pretty good. Being this close made her nervous, her heart knotted and breath catching in her throat. From this distance, she could smell a touch of mahogany and old spice on him- and it smelled good.

It had been a long time since anyone had been on the back of his bike; let alone holding on to him. A couple memories filling his vision for a moment of the times he and Starfire had together several years ago, humming out a long sigh as he drove. Robin's body tensing for a few moments at the feel of her arms around him, soon relaxing.

The pair rode into the city with ease. The streets mostly empty, a couple people straggling in and out of the city- but nothing crazy at this hour on a weekend; arriving somewhere on the far North side of downtown, pulling up out front of a small café at the corner of West and Palm. For as early as it was, the place seemed to have quite a little crowd; cars lining the corners nearby. Robin pulled in slowly, the moment they reached the curb; the girl effortlessly got off of his bike and waited while he situated himself- adjusting her hair a little and turning to observe where they were. Lilly's. "Shall we?" he asked as he stepped onto the sidewalk with her, the pair walking to the door- Robin quickly grabbing the handle and gestured for her to go in. She rolled her eyes as she stepped in, him following behind.

She breathed in deeply; a waft of scents filling her senses, from sweet to savory. "It smells amazing..." she commented, the two of them exchanging brief smiles. "That would be the smell of the best donuts in Jump City..." Robin mused. The place looked bigger on the inside than it had from the sidewalk; though busy- there were still plenty of places to sit. They were greeted promptly by a hostess and opted to sit at the far end of the counter-leaving some space between them and a few patrons, the same hostess asking for their drink order. "Coffee is fine..." he said with a polite smile on his face, the girl clearing her throat quietly staring at Destiny. Destiny blinked for a moment, "Coffee would be fine..." she stuttered. The hostess nodded and quickly left them alone.

They remained quiet for a few minutes until they received their coffee and menus to look over, ordering breakfast and a treat. Robin ordered a country platter and a cinnamon roll, Destiny opting for a breakfast bowl and a cinnamon sugar donut. "So..." Robin spoke first. "...did your crusade to apologize go okay?" he asked, sitting angled on his stool to face her. She mulled over the question as she took another sip of coffee and shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose it went as good as it could have..." Destiny spoke quietly, her gaze meeting his. "...considering the circumstances." Robin nodded his head in understanding, sipping on his coffee again. "Did you get any work done last night?" she asked, moving the subject away from her. He shrugged a little bit. "I just got things ready for us to work together, piled up what I know."

The pair remained quiet until their breakfast arrived, exchanging some brief small talk about news and city events as they ate. Destiny giggled at some of his interpretations of things, sometimes he'd stifle a chuckle at hers. In the midst of time, they had finished their breakfast and treats. She cleared her throat quietly glancing at the time on the wall. "...you know..." she started with a coy in her voice, a smile on her face as she turned to face him once more. Robin's brow lifted in curiosity. "...we're pretty close to Flag and Dove. There's a passage into the tunnels beneath the city..." Destiny grinned fiddling with some cash she pulled from her pocket. "We could check out one of the unmarked spaces- see if it's a hub or storage."

Robin's interests immediately peaked. He stood to his feet, placing a hand against hers to prevent her from paying and sitting some money down on top of their check. "This one's on me." his voice full of pride. "I take it you're interested..." she giggled as she stood to her feet, shoving her cash back into her pocket. "You read my mind." he said with a sheepish grin on his face. The pair filed out of the café out onto the sidewalk, the time just barely 730AM. Destiny took the lead, walking with him through the city-crossing a few blocks and turning right. She gently waved her hand over her wrist, a holographic screen lighting to life from the back of her glove- studying the display of the map. Robin noted the technology, suddenly jealous he hadn't thought of something like that for himself. "Nice touch..." he gestured to the glove. Destiny smiled at him, "I could help you with it sometime..." then directing them into a thin alley way and stopping just outside of an old looking door labeled 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' and a keypad. He smiled cracking his knuckles in his palms and got to work attempting to crack the key. Destiny blinked- stepping back and resting her back against the brick wall of the building and watched him for a few minutes in silence. Robin grinned to himself with glee; working his computer skills well but coming up short.

"Are you done?" she asked. Robin huffed looking over his shoulder at her, "It's not as easy as it looks..." he muttered under his breath. Destiny rolled her eyes as she stepped forward once again, gently nudging him aside; typing in 6-1-1-6-8. The keypad beeped in response, the metal door whining opening to reveal a stone staircase leading downward; flood lights flicking on. Robin's brow furrowed turning his gaze to her. She smiled at him. "You didn't ask." she said before he could question, stepping through the door. They descending down quite a few flights of stairs; the sounds of the subway soon echoing in the cement walls. "We should be just under the D line." she commented, looking over her shoulder at him- noticing the concern on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked, stopping at the top of the next flight of stairs.

Robin's face was written with concern and wonder. "How did you know the code?" he asked, his voice stern. Destiny huffed quietly as she lowered her arm- the map disappearing from the hologram. "All main passage ways are his birthday or my sister's. His worked. 6-1-1-6-8." she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not leading you to your death if that's what you're concerned about." Destiny said, her navy eyes meeting his gaze. He breathed in slowly with a nod, trusting his gut. The pair descending further into the unknown, the flood lights slowly becoming scarcer and the stairs running out- met with a ladder going down into the darkness. "Here goes..." she said as they exchanged a glance. She moved slowly working her way onto the ladder, then simply grasping the side with one hand and slid down- him following after her.

The pair dropped into the darkness, her hand immediately lifting and omitting a bright red glow to give them some light- Robin fishing in his belt for a flash light and turning it on. The path before them littered with robotic arms and legs, some empty boxes and trash. "I guess this hasn't been used in a while." he commented aloud. Destiny nodded her head as they walked forward side by side. "Probably the last time it was used was for Terra when they overran the city." Destiny commented, kicking over a box in their path. "Was that when he created the system?" he asked, glancing in her direction- stopping to pick up a binder from the floor. Robin put the end of the flash light in his mouth, flipping open the binder. Some of the papers had some water damage, but clearly bits and pieces of some sort of machine. Destiny glanced over his shoulder before moving on. "...probably schematics for the bots. It's definitely not recent though." she commented. "But...according to the schematic of the tunnels, they've been here for years." Robin tucked the binder under his shoulder, putting the flashlight back in his hand and continued behind her. They soon came face to face with a split pathway, she lifted her arm to view the blueprint from the hologram- her brow furrowed. "Huh..." she spoke with surprise.

"What?" he asked, stepping closer to her to get a better look of the hologram. Destiny lifted her gaze to his and gestured her wrist out for him to look as well. Robin glanced over the hologram, his eyebrows lifting in a surprise like hers and looked forward. "The second path isn't documented." She lowered her arm down and sucked in a deep breath, her eyes glazing over in the beautiful flame- her body levitating into a similar style Raven would for soul searching. The girl focused heavily, a streak of red omitting from her body and disappearing down the left corridor. Robin watched the girl in amazement, noting the powers he still knew little about that she possessed. After a few minutes of silence between them, the red streak rushed back up the tunnel and burst into her chest.

The girl gasped at the sudden rush of feeling forced back into her body, her eyes flashing open and losing her balance; falling onto her knees and choking on her own breath. Robin's attention geared to her in a flash, leaning down to her side. "Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand against her back. Destiny breathed in deeply with a shaky nod of her head, scrambling to her feet. "Yeah...just out of practice." Robin stood with her, letting her get her bearings. She breathed in quickly, her gaze lifting to his. "Left is a HUGE metal door, I couldn't phase past..." she commented, her gaze turning from his and looking down the dark path. "And it's guarded..." her voice falling short, a faint stomping sound in the distance.

They exchanged a glance between them, the girl filling with a rush of emotions- her gaze widening. "Come on..." she said, quickly grabbing his wrist and pulling him back the way that they came. "If we get caught down here...we're dead." Robin nodded in agreement, the two rushing down the darkened corridor- the echo of the boots getting louder and louder. She shook her head in annoyance, grabbing Robin firmly by the hand, darting upwards in flight-Robin gripped onto the binder as hard as he could under his arm as she was bursting through the tunnel and up the endless flights of stairs in a blur, the door at the top whining open as they neared; somewhere along the way-tripping a sensor, the walls imploding behind them. Destiny quickly flung him forward through the door before them. Robin sprang forward in a quick rush of force, rolling off of his hand and slamming into the brick wall- the girl ducking and rolling through it herself- turning in a quick motion to put up a bright red shield of energy, as some of the imploding debris spewed out- the metal door sealing closed.

They breathed heavily at the near escape, Destiny let her guard down and slowly stood. "Well..." he commented. "That could've gone better." she gave him a look of annoyance. "Yeah...but now he knows someone is poking around." a wash of emotions filling her chest, shaking her head. "We should've waited to go down there..." she sighed heavily.

Robin placed his hand to her shoulder. "It'll be okay." his spoke with determination, "...he can't hurt you anymore." They exchanged a long glance and silence before she finally nodded in understanding. The pair dusted themselves off, filing out of the alleyway and slowly made their way back towards where they had started; noting the sun had finally risen well- not realizing the time had moved so quickly while in the dark. Robin slowly stopped walking just as they started to pass a local grocery store, the binder now safely tucked along his back side- concealed by his shirt and belt; she only realizing after a few feet he had stopped; looking over her shoulder. He smiled at her realization, pointing to the sign. "Wanna grab some stuff?"

Destiny's face looked puzzled for a long moment, before smiling and crossing the distance between them. "Sure." Robin nodded, the pair walking into the store together- he immediately reached for a basket. She walked ahead of him by a few steps, a light hum in her chest- looking over the array of fresh produce with him. Destiny reached for some bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and kiwis- gently chucking them at him each time she grabbed something. Reflexes not an issue, he'd casually catch it and toss it in the basket he carried- his chest pounding with some sort of emotion in response. They moved quietly through the store, collecting various things until the basket was overflowing and she carried a few things in her arms- loading it onto the belt and checking out- some patrons watching in awe at the heroes before them. He went to grab a few bags, but she collected them all on her arms. "I don't think you'd be able to fit these on that cycle of yours..." she grinned at him, exiting the store with him.

Robin cleared his throat as they exited the store. "Meet you back at the tower then? He asked, squinting from the bright light from the sun. Destiny smiled turning to face him as she walked backwards; the bags weighing on her wrists- "See you there..." in an instant, the girl swooping into the air and disappearing into the city.

Robin sighed heavily to himself at the newfound loneliness filling his chest; trudging through the city until he made it back to his bike in front of Lilly's. A thought coming to fruition, he smiled to himself and went back into the small café- ordering an assorted dozen of donuts; putting them away on his bike and made his journey back to the tower.

Destiny arrived back to the tower in minutes; landing on the roof and descending into her home- the bags getting heavier even with her overbearing strength. She quickly made her way down to the common room, the doors whirling open and moving to the kitchen in a brief blur. Cyborg and Beast Boy were in their respective places on the couch playing video games, Raven at the table playing Chess with Starfire. The girl moved quietly about the kitchen- dumping things out of the bags and putting them away. Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder after his and Cyborg's game finished, longing to get up and go see her- deciding to turn back and start a new game with Cyborg. The girl taking it upon herself to put together a few sandwiches, cleaning some berries, and threw a bag of chips on the old wooden platter she had found a few days ago to make sure Robin ate.

Within a few minutes, Robin emerged from the main hall- his attention immediately falling to the girl as he walked down the stairs with the box of donuts he had purchased in hand. Destiny turned as he stood at the counter, noting the box in his hand. He grinned. "I picked up some donuts from Lilly's before coming back." Robin said. Destiny laughed with a roll of her eyes, collecting the empty bags to put them in the recycling. "I wondered why it took you so long." she commented. Beast Boy turning in his seat slightly to see the pair talking- doing his best to not make it obvious, his hands still furiously pressing buttons to maintain his place in the video game. "What's that?" Robin asked, noting the tray. Destiny shrugged her shoulders at him. "I figured it couldn't hurt to have some food handy while we work."

Robin shrugged his shoulders stepping into the kitchen, getting into the fridge and fishing out a couple bottles of water and tucking them against his chest. "Shall we get started?" he asked, his brow lifting. Destiny smiled at him again, moving to grab the water bottles from his grasp and loaded them onto the tray. "We shall..." the two of them shared a brief glance between them. Even they secretly knew it was strange how well they had clicked into a norm. The two of them filing out of the common room-heading for Robin's office. Beast Boy could feel his chest filling with jealousy, rolling his eyes as he turned back to his game he had just lost.

"Damn it..." he groaned tossing his controller across the coffee table, standing to his feet abruptly. Cyborg wooted with glory but raised an eyebrow at BB's reaction. "Come on man...it's just a game..." he replied calmly. Beast Boy sighed heavily to himself as he collected the controller again, plopping on the couch with his friend. "I know..." he grunted, the pair resuming their game- deciding not to voice his jealousy.


End file.
